Food Awards 2016: Yeo Dudes, Tin and Thyme Did It
A night to remember at Yeo Valley HQ with fine dining, celebrations and Tin and Thyme winning Best Food Blog in the Food Awards 2016.
Food Awards 2016
Well, I’ve only gone and done it! Much to my huge astonishment I found on Monday night that I’d won the Best Food Blogger in the Food Awards 2016. Bowled over is an understatement. I was so convinced I wouldn’t win that when Tin and Thyme was announced as the winner, I didn’t properly register it.
For those not in the know, the Food Reader Awards is an annual celebration of food in the UK’s South West region. Salt Media and its widely read Food magazine initiated the event five years ago in order to celebrate good food.
Winning is a prestigious accolade for food people in the South West, comprising Gloucester, Bristol, Somerset, Dorset, Devon and of course Cornwall. There are thirteen categories in total, including best food blog. The Food Awards occasion itself is an event I’ve long wanted to attend and this year I got my chance.
I wasn’t aware, initially, that I’d been nominated for the award. It wasn’t until Tin and Thyme got through to the Food Awards shortlist that this fact impinged itself on my consciousness. A second round of voting took me through to the finals. Then Salt Media invited me up to Yeo Valley HQ for an evening of fine dining, people watching and the grand unveilings.
Fine Dining at Yeo Valley
We started proceedings with a glass (or two) of Knighton Cornish sparkling wine and fabulous canapés from Bioaqua and Homewood. We then sat down to a four course meal made with local produce and matched with local beers and ciders.
I was rather taken with the Frobishers Sparkling Ginger, which was nice and fiery and meant I didn’t indulge in more alcohol than was good for me. With well over a hundred guests, there were only seven vegetarians present, but the Yeo Valley chefs did us proud.
Tin and Thyme Wins Best Food Blogger 2016
No sooner had we finished our starters than the Best Food Blogger 2016 was announced. Tin and Thyme was a finalist along with Veggie Desserts and Eating Exeter. I’d been theorising to CT that our table, which was the furthest from the stage, couldn’t possibly have any winners. How wrong I was.
I was even more surprised by this win than I was by getting my cashew nut butter brownies published in the Cranks Bible.
Off I stumbled up the aisles to the stage, in a complete daze. I remember shaking hands with Jo Rees and Michael Caines MBE, who presented me with my rather fabulous wooden plaque come chopping board. Rest assured I will never draw a knife across its surface.
I’ve no idea what I said, but CT assures me I didn’t make a complete fool of myself. Michael Caines was himself a winner that night. Needless to say, I didn’t get to reciprocate by presenting him with his chopping board for Best Food Hero. One can but dream.
Food Awards 2016: Cornish Wins
Cornwall gave a very good account of itself on the night (hooray!) and won best: Food Cafe, Cookery School, Wine List, Farm Shop, Restaurant, Hotel, Foodie Pub and weirdly, food blogger. For the complete list of winners and grand finalists head to the Food Awards.
Here’s to an excellent 2016 for all food lovers and readers of this blog. Thanks to everyone who voted for me. Also to Salt Media, Yeo Valley and all the sponsors for organising such a splendid event. I may not yet be part of the stretch limo jet set, but my rates are very reasonable 😉
Keep in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you’ve ever attended a similar event or been a food awards winner, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
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If you’d like see a few more events I’ve attended, both in the South West and further afield, follow the link and you’ll find I have a few of them.
Top photo and the one of the dining area courtesy of Food Reader Awards / Guy Harrop Photography
Congratulations! I’m a bit late to this party, but all the same — well done! I just put up a post about blogging, and I hope you’ll read it and comment about your thoughts on the subject. I mean, since you ARE an award winning blogger and all! AND I LOVE that cutting board!
Thanks Jean, the best people are often late to parties 😉 I shall head on over now.
How wonderful! Huge well done and congratulations!
Hey, thanks Kavey. It was a night to remember.
So pleased for you – always good to see a fellow blogger do well.
Ah, thanks very much Lesley, that’s kind. It was a much needed boost.
Congratulations! Well deserved 🙂
Thank you very much Rachel 🙂
Well done- very well deserved!
Thanks very much Lindy 🙂
Hello Nicette! 36years since I last saw you and you look just the same. Congratulations on your award, your blog and recipes look great, I will be following you from now on, Trudy x
Aghhhh, 36 yrs? How does that happen? What a lovely surprise to hear from you. What are you up to these days and in what part of the country?
I’m in Leicestershire now, lived in London for quite a few years before that. Family are all still in Cornwall though. Married, 4 children, working on a neonatal unit. I’m so excited to find you, are you still around Pensilva? I’m on Facebook x
Well done on your wonderful achievement, well deserved! What a lovely reminder you have there too in that lovely chopping board.
Thanks very much Lucy and a chopping board definitely beats a bit of paper 😉
Well done and what a brilliant start to 2016! Where are you going to keep your award? Hehe.
Thanks Sarah, great start indeed. I still have no idea where I’m going to keep it!!!
Congratulations!!!!! So proud of you, Choclette.
Ah, thank you Angie, that’s very kind of you to say 🙂
Hearty congratulations! A great honour and absolutely well-deserved, fantastic!
Thank you very much Katharine, that’s kind of you.
Excellent news – well done. The time I’ve spent in the South West in the last few years has been blessed with superb food and so this is a very fine award to win. Richly deserved, of course.
Thanks very much Phil, much appreciated. Food down here has come on tremendously in the last decade or so.
Very well deserved Choclette, so pleased for you! And it sounds like the awards evening was lots of fun too… stunning food!
It was all rather wonderful Kate. The best blog category was announced just after the starter, so I was able to revel in the rest of the evening.
A very big heartfelt congratulations to you! Well deserved! 😀
Thank you so much Elizabeth. To say I was utterly surprised is an understatement, but I was. of course, also delighted.
Not before time, or should that be thyme? So pleased that your wonderful blog has got the recognition it deserves.
Thyme of course Janice. Thank you so much and for all your support too.
Congrtulations Choclette! Very well deserved. The food you ate looked delicious as well. Is that a rhubarb baked Alaska??
Thanks Andrea. The Alaska was fabulous, but filled with honey ice-cream. The rhubarb (poached in ginger) was just on the outside.
I’m so happy for you, well done, totally well deserved 🙂 And I’m delighted to see that Kate was on the shortlist, too — it makes me think I should probably try out the third one who I hadn’t heard of!
Thanks very much Rachel. The vegetarians blogs were certainly in the majority, which makes a very pleasant change 🙂
Great News for you Nicette and for Cornwall, and all chocolate lovers wherever they are!! x
Thank you so much Belinda, apart from being immensely pleased for myself and Cornwall, it was really nice to have a vegetarian blog win.
Well done! This is wonderful news! Keep at it, dearie!
Thank you Susan, not sure I can keep it up, but I’ll try 😉
I am so happy for you!! So well deserved xxxx
Thank you lovely Alida, that’s very kind of you 🙂
bloody genius and more than well deserved xxxx
Ah thanks Dom, you know just what to say to put a big smile on my face 😀
Yay well done Choclette, that’s fab news! Very well done 🙂
Thanks Becca, I really didn’t believe it was going to happen.
Great job! Your smile says it all!!
Ah, thank you Elaine, how lovely of you to comment. I am only treading in the footsteps of your gorgeous daughter.
Super well done Choclette and what an amazing evening you had:-) Enjoy you time on Cloud 9:-)
Thank you Camilla, it’s really just what I needed and I’m still buzzing now.
This is so brilliant! I am very impressed! So glad for you and sending loads of congratulations and love. xx
Thank you so much Jenny, I’m still feeling surprised 😉
Well done you. I am a very proud auntie! I can fully appreciate the amount of work that goes into your blog and of course all that dreadful food testing of delicious goodies. But hey, somebody’s got to do it! x
Haha Lesley, now that’s where CT comes into his own 😉 Thank you, I still can’t quite believe it really happened.
Congratulations on your award – most well deserved – and fantastic that a vegetarian blog is getting the limelight – the meal sounds great
Thanks Johanna. It’s so good a vegetarian blog won. As I said in the post their were only seven vegetarians at the meal, so if it helps to raise the profile, so much the better.
Wow I haven’t heard of this but congrats! That’s a great achievement.
Thanks Matt. They are big in the South West of England, but I’m sure many won’t every have heard of them – until now 😉
Oh Hurray! Go Choclette Go! Llongyfarchiadau – congratulations from North Wales! Brilliant and very well deserved. We are pouring a celebratory cup of tea from the orange teapot in your honour. xx
Hurray for tea and teapots. We’re raising a cup with you. Thank you, If it wasn’t for the photo, I’d reckon I’d dreamt the whole thing.
Woohoo! Huge congratulations Choclette. So well deserved and fantastically exciting for you. An accolade indeed…… and one for which you should be very proud xx
Thanks so much Kate. I am basking a little in the sunshine at the moment 😉
Many congratulations on your sparkling win! It sounds like the only one who was surprised was you 🙂 Well done xx
Haha, quite possibly Kellie. Thank you. I’m still feeling surprised, but I expect I’ll get used to it at some point 😀
WOW congratulations. You must be thrilled!! What a great award….and an inspiration to us all!!
Thank you Gloria, that’s very kind. I am truly thrilled and humbled too.
Thank you – so not used to being a cool dude 😉
Congrats! I love your email which aways signals a sneaky break!
Haha, I’m very glad to be of service 😉 And thanks very much for your good wishes.
What amazing news – congratulations on winning and well deserved!
Thanks Lucy, it’s fab news indeed. To say I was surprised was an understatement!
Well done Choclette ! Everybody loves you and your blog. Keep up the good work and best wishes for the future.
Thank you very much Henk. I must say it was rather a surprise, but a very nice one.
Many congratulations, rest assured that they would not have awarded it to you if you had not deserved it. You should feel very proud of yourself.
Gosh thank you Julie. I’m not really used to bragging, but I really am excited to have received this.
Brilliant! Well done!
Thanks very much William. This award seems to be bringing a lot of folk out of the woodwork 😉
That’s so great! Congrats!
Thanks Sophia, it’s all very exciting.
Congratulations!
Thank you very much Gill. Everyone is being very kind.
Well done and huge congratulations! The award itself looks so stunning; love the chunky board.
Thank you Agata, the board is something a bit different and I love it too.
Congratulations, an award well deserved!
Thank you very much Jean, it makes all this blogging malarky seem worthwhile 😉
I am genuinely super super excited for you and so glad yourself and CT had a good night, how funny being the furthest table away and then actually being announced as the winner. The Award is awesome, just what any foodie blogger would love – and yes, never shall a knife go near it. Your proud friend Shaheen x
Thank you so much Shaheen. that’s such a lovely thing to write and I know it’s heartfelt too. Was even more convinced I’d not be the winner when I found I was sitting so far away from the action.
Yahoo! Well done. Looks like a fantastic night, live the chopping board trophy!
Congratulations!
Thanks Rebecca. Very nicely timed for my upcoming 7th blog anniversary 🙂
Thank you. Three days on and I’m still smiling. This is my first ever chopping board that is for decorative purposes only 😉
Well done Nicette – and well deserved of course!
Thanks very much Michelle – onwards and upwards 😉