Winners of Yorkshire Food and Drink Business Awards revealed

With 15 award categories, including the overall winner, there were 57 shortlisters and a total of 13 businesses are being recognised for their efforts and impact on Yorkshire’s food and drink industry, and its growing position in the national and international food and drink market place.

Visit Malton Food Lovers Festival was crowned the overall winner. Judged by Garbutt + Elliott and Chef Consultant, Stephanie Moon, the award recognised the success of the annual festival, which attracts more than 40,000 visitors, and for the way Malton supports Yorkshire and its independent food and drink producers and businesses.

Now in its third year, the business awards went virtual this year, with an ‘awards roadshow’ as Garbutt + Elliott representatives visited each of the winners for a socially-distanced personal awards presentation.

Skipton-based dairy farm and Skyr yoghurt producer, Hesper, won two category awards, Business Innovation and SME below £500K, along with the overall winner Visit Malton Food Lovers Festival who were also recognised for the Spirit of Yorkshire. Other category winners include Harrogate Tipple distillery from Ripley, Harrogate, who won SME above £500k; Gilly Robinson from Malton Cookery School who won Yorkshire Food & Drink Ambassador; Leeds Cookery School who won Social Enterprise of the Year and restaurant and hotel, Grassington House who won Nourish Yorkshire.

Meet Yorkshire's Food and Drink ambassadorStephanie Moon, Chef Consultant and Category Judge said: “Yorkshire’s Food and Drink industry is all about local producers and businesses supporting each other, friendship and community. The Awards really encapsulate that and are a brilliant way of showcasing the talent of region. Visit Malton Food Lovers Festival was a worthy winner in recognition of its contribution to the producers and the region as a whole.”

Tony Farmer, Partner, Garbutt + Elliott said: “We have thoroughly enjoyed meeting all the winners as we have travelled around Yorkshire and presented the Awards. It has been a difficult year for many small businesses, so it was great to recognise their hard work and the effort that goes in. We enjoyed sampling some produce and bringing a smile, which is what the Awards is all about.”

Tom Naylor-Leyland, Director of Visit Malton Food Lovers Festival and Overall Winner of the Garbutt + Elliott Food and Drink awards said: “We are thrilled to have won, the Festival is an important part of Malton and the Award means a huge amount to us and the traders here. Having grown enormously over the last twelve years to become a three day event, it attracts people from all over Yorkshire and further afield. Not only that, it is highly important in positioning Malton as a foodie destination, so to win the award is recognition of all that hard work and fantastic!”

The winners

Yorkshire Food + Drink Ambassador – Gilly Robinson

Yorkshire brand of the year – Binghams Foods

Young business of the year – Tame & Wild

Nourish Yorkshire – Grassington House

Producer of the year – Just Desserts

Business Innovation – Hesper

SME below 500K – Hesper

SME above 500K – Harrogate Tipple

Independant Retailer – The Courtyard Dairy

Spirit of Yorkshire – Malton Food Lovers Festival

Backbone of business – Sharrell Richardson of the Wetherby Whaler

Quench Yorkshire – Yorkshire Wolds Apple Juice

Social Enterprise – Leeds Cookery School

Yorkshire Grit – Church Fenton Community Hub

Overall G+E Winner – Malton Food Lovers Festival

Tom Naylor-Leyland, Director of Malton Food Lovers Festival, said: “We are thrilled to have won, the Festival is an important part of Malton and the Award means a huge amount to us and the traders here. Having grown enormously over the last 12 years, it attracts people from all over Yorkshire and further afield.”

For more information visit garbutt-elliott.co.uk/food-awards