Catering businesses urged to enter Derbyshire Food and Drink Awards

Entries are invited from any catering business serving locally cooked food and promoting it on their menus. The categories this year are Derbyshire Restaurant of the Year, Derbyshire Pub/Bistro of the Year, Derbyshire Coffee House/Tearoom of the Year, Derbyshire's Best International Restaurant, Derbyshire Local Food Hero 2009, Derbyshire Master Chef 2009. Venues are judged on a number of criteria including the quality of food and drink, customer service and use of county produce with acknowledgement of it on menus. In each category there will be a winner and a highly commended and the awards are judged by an independent panel of food specialists including AA inspectors and Quality in Tourism assessors. Celebrity TV chef Brian Turner will present the awards for the second year and businesses should return their application forms to be considered for an award by 25 July. Businesses which haven't received an application form but would like one should contact county council tourism officer Stephanie Walsh on 01629 585964 or e-mail steph.walsh@derbyshire.gov.uk. Derbyshire County Council is organising the awards for the eighth year and they will be presented at a ceremony held at Thornbridge Hall, Ashford-in-the-Water, on Thursday 15 October.