Ten of the county’s top restaurants had something of a culinary surprise when top TV chef Sophie Grigson turned up out of the blue to sample their wares!　Had she forgotten to stock up her own kitchen cupboards? No! Sophie was merely performing her role as ‘mystery shopper’ in the inaugural Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards.

The awards, devised by Northamptonshire Enterprise Ltd, are aimed at celebrating excellence among the county’s eateries and to give a public pat on the back to those owners, managers and landlords who strive to offer their customers the perfect dining experience.　

So, in the last six weeks, Sophie – a former county resident, author of 19 best-selling cookbooks and star of numerous TV cookery programmes – has been dropping in unannounced on the finalists in the two remaining categories　in the competition　- ‘Restaurant of the Year’ and ‘Pub or Bar Restaurant of the Year’.
Those vying for the title of ‘Restaurant of the Year’ (in alphabetical order):
Greens Restaurant and Bar, Northampton
Murrays at Whittlebury Hall, Whittlebury
Oundle Mill, Oundle
The Church Restaurant, Northampton
The Vine House Hotel and Restaurant, PaulerspuryWhile the shortlist in the ‘Pub or Bar Restaurant of the Year’ is (in alphabetical order):
The Olde Red Lion, Kislingbury
The Red Lion, Sibbertoft
The Saracen’s Head, Little Brington
The Walnut Tree Inn, Blisworth
The White Swan, Harringworth　

 When it comes to winning awards for fine dining, very few can compete with the bulging trophy cabinet of a world-famous double Michelin-starred chef. So who better than Marcus Wareing to be dishing up the prizes to the county’s best restaurateurs in the Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards 2009?

Marcus, who has recently been voted ‘Best Chef’ by a leading European restaurant review website, will be the special guest at the ‘Celebration of Northamptonshire’ dinner being held at Althorp on 9 October and will present the awards to the title winners of ‘Restaurant of the Year’ and ‘Pub or Bar Restaurant of the Year’ for 2009.

The awards, devised by Northamptonshire Enterprise Limited, were set up to celebrate good practise among the county’s eateries.

Said Marcus “I’m absolutely delighted to be involved with these new awards. It’s a tough challenge getting all the ingredients together to create the perfect dining experience and it’s only right and proper that we should honour those who work so hard to achieve it!”   

2009 has proved to be a momentous year for the chef himself, with his restaurant ‘Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley’ being awarded two Michelin stars, voted number three in Restaurant Magazine’s Top 100 Restaurant awards and making a dramatic entry at number 52 on the San Pellegrino world restaurant awards list. The chef, who can count A-List celebrities Kylie Minogue, Sharon Stone, Madonna, Robert De Niro and Kevin Spacey among his customers, is also publishing his latest book ‘Nutmeg and Custard’ later this month.

Food lovers will also have seen Marcus regularly demonstrating his kitchen skills on television, having appeared on BBC TV’s ‘Great British Menu’ – where his dessert of egg custard tart and Garibaldi biscuit was served at the Queen’s 80^th birthday banquet – and as a guest on James Martin’s ‘Saturday Kitchen’.

The finalists in the two categories were chosen after assessment of their entries by a select panel of judges, including Catering Manager at Northampton College Mike Coppock and David Kennedy, Chief Executive of Northampton Borough Council.

Those vying for the title of ‘Restaurant of the Year’ are:

Greens Restaurant and Bar, Northampton
Murrays at Whittlebury Hall, Whittlebury
Oundle Mill, Oundle
The Church Restaurant, Northampton          
The Vine House Hotel and Restaurant, Paulerspury 

While the ‘Pub or Bar Restaurant of the Year’ shortlist is: 

The Olde Red Lion, Kislingbury
The Red Lion, Sibbertoft
The Saracen’s Head, Little Brington
The Walnut Tree Inn, Blisworth
The White Swan, Harringworth 

Said Jeremy Medley, Head Chef and General Manager of Oundle Mill, “Marcus is an outstanding chef.  His involvement is a great coup for the Northamptonshire awards.  This shows how important these awards are to businesses in the county.”

Members of the public can still show their support by logging on to www.letyourselfgrow.com and selecting their favourite eatery from the shortlist by following the details on the website.  Voting will be open until 27 September.  The winners and runners-up in each category will be chosen by the expert panel taking into account public support and the results of the ‘mystery shopping’ of each of the ten venues.

Kate Dent, Head of Tourism at Northamptonshire Enterprise Ltd said “We’re thrilled that Marcus Wareing is on board, his association is yet another in a long line of exciting developments for these awards and for Northamptonshire’s food and drink establishments, further proof of the county’s quality offering receiving the praise and recognition it deserves.”

Tickets are now available for the ‘Celebration of Northamptonshire’ dinner at Althorp on 9 October priced at £90. Now in its third successive year, the dinner and charity auction event is aimed at celebrating all that is great about Northamptonshire – set against the stunning backdrop of one of the county’s finest historic homes. More details are available at: www.celebratenorthamptonshire.co.uk

A huge thanks to everyone who paid us a visit at the Holdenby Show – we had a great weekend with some fabulous demos taking place.

We had over 150 entries to our competition to win a day with Shires – we are delighted to announce that our winner is Caroline Sweetman from Daventry

Many of you also completed our mini survey telling us the type of courses that you would like us to run. The most popular choices being Italian cookery, wine matching, healthy eating and bread baking.

The good news is our Artisan Bread course will be running again in October and for all you pasta lovers our first Italian Cookery Day will take place in November. Please subscribe to our site and you will receive details of the courses as soon as they are posted.

Flambé strawberries with quick lemon cheesecake 

Thanks to everyone who came to visit us at the Simply Specialists marquee over the bank holiday weekend – as promised Richards delicious Strawberry cheesecake recipe – let us know how you get on.

Ingredients
150g                Ginger nut biscuits
50g                  Butter
250g                Mascarpone Cheese
250g                Quark
½                     Lemon juice
                          Rind of one lemon
50g                  Icing sugar 

Method

1. Put the Ginger nut biscuit in a food processor and blend until a fine crumb is formed, add the butter and blend on pulse until combined.
2. Mix the quark and mascarpone cheeses together, add the rind of the lemon, and the juice of half a lemon and the icing sugar to taste, chill in the fridge.
3. Press the ginger nut crumb mixture into the bottom of the moulds for the cheese cake, making sure the mixture is firmly pushed down.
4. Put the cheeses cake mixture in a piping bag and pipe into the moulds, smoothing the top with the back of a spoon that has been dipped into boiling water.
5. Cool in the fridge for twenty minutes, or until the strawberries are ready.

Strawberry Flambé    

Ingredients

½                     Punnet strawberries (250g)
25g                  Butter
25g                  Castor sugar
½                     Juice from a lemon
25ml                 Brandy 

Method

1. Heat a frying pan and melt the butter, add the sugar and caramelise.
2. Add the lemon juice and reduce the mixture to syrup.
3.  Toss the strawberries in the sugar mixture.
4. Flambé with the brandy.

To finish

Run a hot knife round the cheesecake moulds and spoon round the Strawberry Flambé.

“Absolutely wonderful!” and simply “Chuffed!” – those were the emotional expressions of delight from the winners of the “Best Local Produce” and “Best Drink” categories in the inaugural Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards.

The awards, devised by Northamptonshire Enterprise Limited, were established to celebrate all that is great about the county’s produce and drink.

The title of ‘Best Local Produce’ went to ‘Sauls of Spratton’ for their ‘Potted Beef’ and it is an award which owner Chris Saul says surpasses any international accolades they’ve received. “This really means the world to us. To be recognised in this way by our own county is just fabulous”. And it is the icing on the cake for the family firm after Chris’ daughter got married only last Saturday. “I delayed going on honeymoon to be here – but it’s been worth it!” said Emma, after picking up her prize at the culmination of the two-day culinary festival that was the Holdenby Food Show.

Meanwhile the title of ‘Best Drink’ went to Northampton’s Frog Island Brewery for their beer ‘Fire-Bellied Toad’. “It’s very difficult to produce a good beer using just a single hop” said brewery partner Mandy Littler “but we’ve proved that it can be done and we’re delighted to receive this award. No doubt we’ll be opening a few bottles to celebrate!

Those charged with the difficult but enjoyable task of choosing the winners from the shortlist of nine were TV chef Sophie Grigson, the editor of Waitrose Food Illustrated William Sitwell and chef Stephen Bulmer of Brookhall Cookery School. Said Sophie “It’s been very exciting to return to the county I used to call home and to see how much progress has been made in the culinary world in the last decade or so. I’m a keen supporter of all things local and I think these awards are a fantastic way of helping to promote the excellence that Northamptonshire offers”. The winners and runners-up were then presented with their bespoke Collyweston-slate trophies by Adam Gray, Head Chef of London restaurant ‘Rhodes Twenty Four’ in front of an expectant audience of around 150 who filled the ‘Cooks Courtyard’ marquee in the stableyard of the Elizabethan house.

The results for the two categories are

‘Best Local Produce’

Potted Beef from Sauls of Spratton  – winner
Mellow Yellow rapeseed oil from Farrington Oils – runner-up

Other finalists
Dundee Cake from Towcester Country Markets
Scarborough Fair Jelly from M.U.T.T.S.
The Boozy Dark Breakfast marmalade from The Pickled Village 

‘Best Drink’

Fire-Bellied Toad Beer from Frog Island Brewery – winner
Northamptonshire Bitter from Hoggleys Brewery – runner-up 

Other finalists
Champs D’Amours Sparkling White from Fleur Fields
Tickled Pink Sparkling Rosé from Welland Valley Vineyard

 The competition’s co-ordinator, Rachel Mallows from ‘Rachel Mallows Services to Business’ was delighted for those who took home the trophies but believes Northamptonshire as a whole is the real winner “These awards have been a fantastic celebration of the best that is available – on the doorstep – to the county’s lovers of food and drink. It’s testament to the high standard of all our finalists that our esteemed panel of judges had such a difficult task in selecting their winners”.

Those were sentiments echoed by André Gonzales de Savage representing Northamptonshire Enterprise Ltd “I have been so impressed by the passion and drive from all those who have taken part in these brand new – and much-needed – awards. As an organisation, NEL is at the forefront of promoting business and tourism and this project has been, quite literally, an exciting opportunity to taste the delights of our wonderful county!”

Take 100g of Northamptonshire’s most glorious stately homes
4 tbsp of the county’s finest food and drink
A large sprinkling of culinary expertise to inspire you in the kitchen
And the zest of one of the country’s most popular chefs 

And what have you got? The recipe for a perfect bank holiday to get anyone’s taste buds watering!

This weekend top TV chef Sophie Grigson returns to the county she once called home to judge the finalists in the brand new Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards 2009, as devised by Northamptonshire Enterprise Ltd.

 Sophie will be joining fellow expert Stephen Bulmer, former head chef at Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir Cookery School and William Sitwell, editor of Waitrose Food Illustrated to select winners in the categories ‘Best Local Produce’ and ‘Best Drink’ – the culmination of the culinary festival that is the Holdenby Food Show.

 Author of 19 cookery books and numerous television appearances since bursting onto the food scene more than 25 years ago, Sophie says she’s delighted to be involved in these brand new Awards. “I was thrilled to be asked to be part of the judging panel for the best local produce and best local drink for the first Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards.  The list of finalists is impressive and I am looking forward to sampling the products at the Holdenby Food Show this weekend.  It is really important that people who set up and run businesses and are passionate about food and drink have the chance to be supported in their local communities.”

The competition’s co-ordinator, Rachel Mallows of Rachel Mallows: Services to Business, says it’s an honour to have Sophie on board “Our search for Northamptonshire’s finest food and drink deserves to have the finest of judges and in Sophie we have one of the very best! We’re very proud of the high standard of all those who took part and we think that all three judges are set for a very enjoyable – but very difficult – task in choosing their winners!”

The entries vying for the title of ‘Best Local Produce’ are

Dundee Cake from Towcester Country Markets
Mellow Yellow rapeseed oil from Farrington Oils
Potted Beef from Sauls of Spratton
Scarborough Fair Jelly from M.U.T.T.S
The Boozy Dark Breakfast marmalade from The Pickled Village 

While those battling to be named ‘Best Drink’ are:

Champs D’Amours Sparkling White from Fleur Fields
Fire-bellied Toad Beer from Frog Island Brewery
Northamptonshire Bitter from Hoggleys Brewery
Tickled Pink Sparkling Rosé from Welland Valley Vineyard 

Visitors to the Holdenby Food Show (sponsored by Bell) will have the chance to sample the nine shortlisted entries by heading to the Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards 2009 stand across both days before the judges are locked away on Monday afternoon in one of the House’s impressive Elizabethan rooms to make their selection. Head Chef of Rhodes Twenty Four Adam Gray will then announce the results and present the awards to the winners at 3pm.

Here at Shires we  are delighted to be hosting the Simply Specialists demo marquee over the weekend. We have many exciting and fun demos taking place, so come along say hello, enter our competiton and you could be in with a chance to win a day with Shires.

For all those food and drink lovers out there, the waiting is nearly over as the Holdenby Food Show, sponsored by Bell, will take place this coming bank holiday weekend. With top chefs ready to inspire and entertain visitors, a huge range of local and regional producers, and fun for all the family, the third year of the event looks like being another hit with the crowds.

Adam Gray, head chef of the Michelin star ‘Rhodes Twenty Four’ in London, which is one of Gary Rhodes’ restaurants, will be returning to the show to headline the live cooking theatre, the ‘Courts Courtyard’.  Having grown up in the County and undertaken his training at Northampton College, Adam is delighted to be at the event. “I am very proud to be involved in the Holdenby Food Show again this year” Adam says. “It has definitely become a permanent fixture in Northamptonshire’s culinary calendar”.

Also this year, the show will also see the top chef Stephen Bulmer entertaining the audiences at the show. Stephen, who is now the head chef and owner of Brook Hall Cookery School in Winslow, near Buckingham, has had huge experience working in very prestigious restaurants across England. Most recently he was Chef/Director of the Raymond Blanc Cookery School at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons for the last six years.

Visitors will also have the chance to try the finalists in the Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards, before the final ‘taste off’ takes place at the show with the hotly contested results being announced live on the second day of the Show. A shortlist of nine finalists are in the running for the two awards, Best Local Drink and Best Local Produce. The Awards, which have been devised by Northamptonshire Enterprise Ltd in partnership with the Holdenby Food Show, are aimed at celebrating all that is great about the county’s produce and drink. 

Show organisers, Stonehouse Events Ltd, are delighted to have local company Bell on board this year too, who will be at the show demonstrating how to cook tasty treats on an Aga throughout the event on their stand. A. Bell and Company have been in Northampton since 1898 and offer a wealth of experience and knowledge over a large range of quality products, including stunning, top quality kitchens, bathrooms, stoves and gas barbeques.

This year also sees a second demonstration area at the event, the ‘Simply Specialists featuring Shires Cookery School’, which will comprise a mixture of varied sessions including from how to successfully flambé strawberries, testing your knowledge on healthy eating plus how to create tasty Indian dishes by an International Award Winning Chef.

Held at Holdenby House, just north of Northampton, this delicious day out will showcase a wonderful range of products to tempt you, plus plenty of opportunities to taste fantastic flavours of our region and beyond. Top quality and imaginative kitchen and home accessories will also be available, to create a great shopping experience.

With a licensed bar located on the picturesque front lawn of Holdenby House, plus the gardens and grounds of Holdenby House to sit and relax in while listening to love music, this food event will be a perfect destination for food fans everywhere. Holdenby House is also open both days too, admission included in the entrance fee. There is even a chance to play croquet thanks to Northamptonshire Croquet Club who will be on hand to give visitors tips on the tactics of this perfect summer game.

The ‘Holdenby Food Show sponsored by Bell’ takes place on 30^th and 31^st August, open 11am – 5pm each day. For more information call Stonehouse Events on 01604 820011, or see www.stonehouse-events.co.uk.

Come along to the Simply Specialists marquee and enter our competition to win a day with Shires Cookery School.

Is the food at your local really the best? Does your favourite restaurant serve meals to rival the finest?
Now’s the chance to show your culinary support for your favourite venue among the finalists in the Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards 2009.

The awards, devised by Northamptonshire Enterprise Ltd, are aimed at celebrating excellence among the county’s eateries and giving a public pat on the back to those owners, managers and landlords who strive to offer their customers the perfect dining experience.
Of the 40 entries from across the county, vying for the title of ‘Restaurant of the Year’ and the ‘Pub or Bar Restaurant of the Year’, a shortlist of 10 entries has now been chosen by a select panel of judges, including David Kennedy, Chief Executive of Northampton Borough Council and Northamptonshire Ambassador – and former restaurant proprietor – Nigel Hollick. Said Nigel “I was very impressed by the number and standard of entries into this competition, especially given that this is its inaugural year. We have some fantastic places to eat here in the county and it’s great to think that these awards will give them the boost they rightly deserve.”

The chosen finalists in the ‘Restaurant of the Year’ category are:
Greens Restaurant and Bar, Northampton
Murrays at Whittlebury Hall, Whittlebury
Oundle Mill, Oundle
The Church Restaurant, Northampton  
The Vine House Hotel and Restaurant, Paulerspury

While the shortlist in the ‘Pub or Bar Restaurant of the Year’  are:
The Olde Red Lion, Kislingbury
The Red Lion, Sibbertoft
The Saracen’s Head, Little Brington
The Walnut Tree Inn, Blisworth
The White Swan, Harringworth

Adrian Booth from Greens Restaurant and Bar, Northampton said “It’s fantastic for all the people who work here.  Our hard work to revise our menus is paying off.”  He added, “These awards are a great way of letting people know about the great food and produce that’s available in the county.”

To show your support, simply log on to www.letyourselfgrow.co.uk from Thursday 20 August 2009 and select your favourite eatery from the shortlist by following the details on the website. You have until mid-September to make your nomination count.  All ten venues will then be ‘mystery shopped’ by two expert judges before the winners in each category are selected and those will be announced at the Celebrate Northamptonshire dinner on 9 October 2009 to be held at Althorp.  Details are available at www.celebratenorthamptonshire.co.uk

The competition’s co-ordinator, Rachel Mallows, of Rachel Mallows: Services to Business said “We have such a high standard of food venues in the county – everything from village pubs offering great bar meals at great prices to haute cuisine to rival anything that the country has to offer. So as well as publicly recognizing the efforts of those who slave over the saucepans on our behalf, we hope that this competition is a reminder to Northamptonshire‘s food lovers that you don’t have to go far to enjoy a meal out that’s first-class!”     

Kate Dent, Head of Tourism at Northamptonshire Enterprise Ltd, said: “These awards will play a vital role in our quality approach to tourism in Northamptonshire. The Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards are a perfect way of raising the profile of Northamptonshire whilst gaining much-needed publicity and ongoing support for all those who get involved.”

Full list of judges who took part were (in alphabetical order):

Wendy Carter – Shires Cookery School
Mike Coppock – Catering Manager, Northampton College
Nigel Hollick – Northamptonshire Ambassador, Commercial Director, Pollen Brooks Events
David Kennedy – Chief Exec, Northampton Borough Council
Amanda O’Hare – Image magazine
Alan Spooner – Business Times

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE’S TOP NINE PROVE THEY CAN STAND THE HEAT – AND GET TO STAY IN THE KITCHEN!

The oven gloves are now firmly on as the battle for the county’s highest culinary honours heats up!
Following an entertaining evening of deliberating, cogitating and digesting by a select panel of judges in the magnificent Elizabethan setting of Holdenby House , a shortlist of nine finalists  from across the county have been chosen in the brand new Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards. They will now go forward to fight it out for the title of ‘Best Local Produce’ and ‘Best Drink’ for 2009 later this month.

The Awards, which have been devised by Northamptonshire Enterprise Ltd in partnership with the Holdenby Food Show, are aimed at celebrating all that is great about the county’s produce and drink. 

Everyone from farmers and growers, to bakers and brewers were invited to put forward their produce. The chosen finalists in the ‘Best Local Produce’ category are:

Dundee Cake from Towcester Country Markets
Mellow Yellow rapeseed oil from Farrington Oils
Potted Beef from Sauls of Spratton
Scarborough Fair Jelly from M.U.T.T.S
The Boozy Dark Breakfast marmalade from The Pickled Village

While the shortlist of finalists in the ‘Best Drink’ category are (in alphabetical order): 
Champs D’Amours Sparkling White from Fleur Fields
Fire-bellied Toad Beer from Frog Island Brewery
Northamptonshire Bitter from Hoggleys Brewery
Tickled Pink Sparkling Rosé from Welland Valley Vineyard

Duncan Farrington from Farrington Oils said “This is absolutely fantastic.  Local support is vital to us.  We’re proud of Northamptonshire and proud to be a finalist”.  Meanwhile Julie Hoggley, who produces Northamptonshire Bitter said, “Brilliant!  It’s just what we wanted.  We’re extremely pleased to be a finalist in these awards, and we’re looking forward to the public tasting and the final at the Holdenby Food Show”.

Those charged with the difficult, but mouth-watering, task of picking their favourites from over fifty entries into the county-wide competition, included Northampton optometrist – and former BBC Masterchef finalist – Brian Tompkins and Saints, Scotland and British Lions prop Euan Murray.  Said Brian “Having been on the fringe of Northamptonshire’s food scene for more than 15 years, I consider it an honour to have played my part in such an awards scheme.  It makes me really proud to know that we have so much to shout about in the county.” Meanwhile Euan is clearly developing a passion for his newfound local cuisine: “Coming from the north of the border, but now calling the county home, it’s been great to experience a true taste of Northamptonshire!”     

The competition’s co-ordinator, Rachel Mallows, from Rachel Mallows: Services to Business, said every entry deserved to win. “We thought the standards would be high but even we were surprised by the effort and enthusiasm from everyone who took part.  The competition has proved that Northamptonshire can boast plenty of fantastic, fresh and locally-grown wares  and choosing  our  finalists was a really difficult process  –  I’m just glad I wasn’t one of the judges! ”  

Visitors to the Holdenby Food Show on 30^th and 31^st August will have their chance to taste the nine short-listed products before the final expert panel of judges, including the former head of Raymond Blanc’s cookery school Stephen Bulmer, announce the winners in the “Best Local Produce” and the “Best Drink” categories.

Kate Dent, Head of Tourism at Northamptonshire Enterprise Ltd, said: “These awards will play a vital role in our quality approach to tourism in Northamptonshire. The Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards are a perfect way of raising the profile of Northamptonshire whilst gaining much-needed publicity and ongoing support for all those who get involved.”

Northamptonshire’s most popular food show is set to take place again this summer which will be its third successful year, with each year being bigger and better than the one before. The Holdenby Food Show also has fantastic new sponsors for 2009, the Northampton based company Bell, who are suppliers of Aga and beautiful kitchens, and Shires Cookery School, perfect partners for this tasty event!

Enjoyed by thousands of visitors in previous years, the show promises to be a treat for anyone who likes great food and drink, along with family fun and entertainment all set in beautiful surroundings. With a fantastic mix of local, regional and other fine quality food and drink producers and suppliers, plus more, it is a tasty and exciting family day out.

Held at Holdenby House, just north of Northampton, this delicious event will showcase a wonderful range of products to tempt you, plus plenty of opportunities to taste fantastic flavours of our region and beyond.

Shires will be hosting the Simply Specialists marquee – come along and see a fantastic range of demos taking place over the weekend.

Returning again this year by popular demand is Adam Gray, Head Chef of the Michelin starred ‘Rhodes Twenty Four’ at Tower 42 in London. He will be headlining the live demonstration programme on both days, located in the ‘Cooks Courtyard’. Having close personal roots with Northamptonshire, as well as having trained at Northampton College, Adam is always keen to be involved in this great Holdenby event, helping to put local food and drink on the map. Adam will be cooking at the event on both days.

“I am very proud to be involved in the Holdenby Food Show again this year” Adam says. “It is a great opportunity for Northamptonshire to show the outstanding and varied produce it has to offer”.

Also this year, the show will also see the top chef Stephen Bulmer entertaining the audiences at the show. Stephen, who is now the owner of Brook Hall Cookery School in Winslow, near Buckingham, has had huge experience working in very prestigious restaurants across England. Most recently he was Chef/Director of the Raymond Blanc Cookery School at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons for the last six years, before which he had his own Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant, Atelier, in Soho.

‘I’m delighted to be demonstrating at the Holdenby Food Show’ explained Stephen Bulmer. ‘It’s a great day out. The range and quality local produce on sale is always inspiring’ he said.

The Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards are also being launched at this years show, thanks to a partnership between Northamptonshire Enterprise and show organisers, Stonehouse Events.

With a licensed bar located on the picturesque front lawn of Holdenby House, plus the gardens and grounds of Holdenby House to sit and relax in while listening to live music, this food event will be a perfect destination for food fans everywhere. Holdenby House is also open both days too, admission included in the entrance fee.

The ‘Holdenby Food Show takes place on 30^th and 31^st August, open 11am – 5pm each day. For more information call Stonehouse Events on 01604 820011, or see www.stonehouse-events.co.uk.