Three Thanet businesses have made it through to the finals of the Taste of Kent awards.
The Buoy and Oyster and Northdown Brewery in Margate and Gadds Ramsgate Brewery will battle it out to take the top spot in their categories.
The elite top three in the categories voted for by the public now enter the final stages of judges’ scrutiny, before they hope to be crowned winners at the black-tie awards dinner on Thursday, March 5 at the Kent Events Centre.
The Thanet businesses compete in Kent beer of the year and Kent restaurant of the year.
The Taste of Kent Awards are organised by Produced in Kent and showcase the very best products and food and drink businesses across Kent and Medway.
Floortje Hötte at Produced in Kent said: “Once again during this year’s competition, we have had a truly amazing level of participation and support from both the public and food and drink businesses here in Kent. From across the county we have seen many new businesses and products voted for alongside many of the counties best known and most successful favourite business and food and drink products.”
“Businesses in Medway have this year received an increase in the number of nominations by the public and there has also been an increase in the number of butchers shops, food and drink retailers, producers, beers and wines nominated in each of their respective categories. Over half of this year’s finalists have never been in the final top three before. Votes for Butchers shops were up 23% on previous years and votes for the best Dining Pub were also up by 20%.”
The top three in each category now make it through to the final round of tasting, mystery shopping, mystery dining and expert judging panels and the winners will be announced at the Taste of Kent Awards Gala dinner.
Finalists
Kent Beer of the year, sponsored by Eurostar International
Curious Brew – Curious Brewing, Ashford
Pale Ale Mary – Northdown Brewery, Margate
Gadd’s No.3 – Ramsgate Brewery, Broadstairs
Kent Restaurant of the Year, sponsored by Thomson, Snell & Passmore
Buoy & Oyster, Margate
The Corner House, Canterbury
The Small Holding, Kilndown
Kent Butcher’s Shop of the Year, sponsored by Furley Page
Crouch Butchers – Bearsted
Hammonds Butchers – Matfield
Shaun & Steve O’Meara’s Butchers – Minster-on-sea, Sheerness
Kent Cider or Perry of the Year, sponsored by Wilkins Kennedy
Curious Apple – Curious Brewing, Ashford
Skylark Sparkling Apple Cider – Kentish Pip, Bekesbourne
Night Bird Cider – Nightingale Cider Co, Tenterden
Kent Coffee Shop or Tearoom of the Year, sponsored by Barretts of Canterbury
Café Nucleus, Rochester
The Little Bull Café & Bar, Brenchley
Oad Street Food & Crafts, Borden
Kent Dining Pub or Bistro of the Year, sponsored by University of Kent
The Butcher’s Block, Burham
The Curious Eatery, Boughton Monchelsea
The Marquis of Granby, Alkham
Kent Food Business of the Year, sponsored by Gullands Solicitors
Karimix, Selling
Little Brittany, Yalding
Solleys Ice Cream, Deal
Kent Local Food Retailer of the Year, sponsored by Bennett Opie
Austen’s of Rochester – Rochester
Flint & Oak – Westerham
Hadlow College Farm Shop – Hadlow
Kent Tastiest Juice of the Year, sponsored by AC Goatham & Son
Apple & Cherry Juice – Bardsley England
Red Love Apple Juice – Biddenden Vineyards
Apple & Elderflower – Owlets
Kent Wine of the Year, sponsored by NFU Mutual Ashford, Tenterden & Whitfield
Chapel Down Brut – Chapel Down, Tenterden
Saxon Shore Bacchus – Terlingham Vineyard, Folkestone
Sparkling Rose – Woodchurch Vineyard, Ashford
The top three of the self-nominated categories are:
Excellence Award for Customer Service, sponsored by insight6
Austen’s of Rochester
Curious Eatery, Boughton Monchelsea
The Food Shed at Spadework, Offham
Kent Countryside Award, sponsored by Kent Downs AONB and High Weald AONB
Lower Ladysden Farm, Goudhurst
Provenance Potatoes, Deal
Watts Farm, Farningham