The winners of the 2015 Observer Food Monthly Awards, in association with Cuisinart, were announced at a ceremony in London this evening (Thursday 15 October 2015).
Now in its twelfth year, the awards - which are voted for by both Observer readers and a judging panel - champion the best producers, restaurants, retailers and bloggers in the UK. Claudia Winkleman and Jay Rayner co-hosted this year’s celebrations and were joined by Observer Food Monthly editor Allan Jenkins, who introduced the evening.
Mary Berry won the celebrated lifetime achievement award for her outstanding contribution to culinary arts. With over 50 years experience, The Great British Bake Off star is a longstanding name in both the television and food industries. The judge-voted category also honoured up-and-coming 21-year-old chef George O’Leary, Demi Chef de Partie at the two-Michelin starred Hand and Flowers in Marlow, awarding him young chef of the year.
Readers voted The Palomar in London as best restaurant and Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge came top in the best food personality category. The West Country born chef was among those who received the back-to-basics designed chef’s knife trophies created by Blok Knives for the event. Restaurateur and chef Yotam Ottolenghi won best new cookbook for ‘Plenty More’ and South London restaurant The Clink, which gives practical skills to prisoners allowing them to learn and engage with the wider public, was awarded best ethical restaurant.
Other winners included Altrincham Market in Cheshire, which won best local market, Beanies Wholefoods in Sheffield, which took away the prize for best independent retailer and food blogger Ella Woodward of Deliciously Ella who won best food blog.
Speaking on receiving the lifetime achievement award, Mary Berry said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to receive the lifetime achievement award. It’s a great honour to be recognised for doing something I love and I feel incredibly lucky to have been able to have a career in an industry that I feel so passionate about. “
Layo Paskin, creative director at the The Palomar, winner of the best restaurant award, said: “It was a Monday when I got the call and it all felt a little surreal. It has been a fantastic 18 months since we opened and the time has rushed by, only now recognisable by entering our second autumn. Thank you to OFM and everyone who voted for us. This award is dedicated to the team who tirelessly work to make the wonderful but slightly crazy world of The Palomar come to life each day.”
Observer Food Monthly editor Allan Jenkins said: “This year’s Observer Food Monthly Awards mark the 12th year of celebrating the best of British food and drink. From a brilliant beach shack on the coast of Northern Ireland to an inspirational fresh vegetable producer in South Wales, this year’s winners demonstrate a passion for great food from all over the UK. With six winners coming from outside the capital, London better look out.”
The winners in each category are as follows:
Reader-voted categories
- Best restaurant - The Palomar, London
- Best cheap eats - Max’s Sandwich shop, London
- Best Sunday lunch - The Camberwell Arms, London
- Best new cookbook - Plenty More, Yotam Ottolenghi
- Best ethical restaurant (supported by Visit Sweden) - The Clink Restaurant at HMP Brixton, London
- Best food personality (supported by Grana Padano) - Tom Kerridge
- Best place to drink - Dandelyan, London
- Best independent retailer (Supported by Västerbottensost) - Beanies Wholefoods, Sheffield
- Best food blog - Deliciously Ella
- Best local market - Altrincham Market, Cheshire
Judge voted categories
- Lifetime achievement - Mary Berry
- Best producer (supported by Jarlsberg) - Veggies Galore, Ross-on-Wye
- Best newcomer in food and drink - Harry’s Shack, Portstewart
- Outstanding achievement - Lucio Polli de Carvalho and Jude Ragan at Queensmill School, London
- Young chef of the year (supported by Cuisinart) - George O’Leary
- Best reader’s recipe - Selma Jeevanjee
- Best food photography - Sarah Freethy
More information about the awards can be found here. The Observer Food Monthly Awards issue is available on 18 October, free with The Observer.
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For more information please contact: media.enquiries@theguardian.com or 0203 353 3696
Notes to editors
About Guardian News & Media
Guardian News & Media (GNM) publishes theguardian.com, one of the largest English-speaking quality newspaper websites in the world. Since launching its US and Australia digital editions in 2011 and 2013 respectively, traffic from outside of the UK now represents over two-thirds of the Guardian’s total digital audience.
In the UK, GNM publishes the Guardian newspaper six days a week, first published in 1821, and the world’s oldest Sunday newspaper, The Observer.
The Observer Food Monthly magazine is published every four weeks, free with The Observer.
The Guardian is most recently renowned for its Pulitzer Prize and Emmy-winning revelations based on the disclosures made by whistleblower Edward Snowden. In 2014, the Guardian was named newspaper and website of the year at the Society of Editors UK Press Awards and is the most trusted news source in the UK (Ofcom digital media report, 2014).
The Guardian is also known for its globally acclaimed investigation into phone hacking, the launch of its groundbreaking digital-first strategy in 2011 and its trailblazing partnership with WikiLeaks in 2010.
About Cuisinart
Lead sponsor and supporter of young chef of the year category.
For over 30 years Cuisinart’s aim has been to produce the very finest kitchen equipment. All Cuisinart products are engineered for exceptionally long life, and designed to be easy to use as well as to give excellent performance day after day.
For more information visit: www.cuisinart.co.uk
