I'm just holding it for a friend, honest ... Photograph: Alicia Canter / Katherine Rose
The food glitterati - let's call 'em fooderati - assembled on Thursday night for Observer Food Monthly's annual awards ceremony.
The judging panel was made up thus: Joanna Blythman, Tom Parker Bowles, Nicola Jeal, Jay Rayner, Nigel Slater, Alex James, and Rebeccca Seal, and they distributed accolades from OFM readers to those around the country doing good things with food, from an ethical fish shop in Callander to a grocery shop in Manchester. Some of those people are, in no particular order, Yotam Ottolenghi, for the finest breakfast, Jamie Oliver, winner of best location for his Cornwall branch of Fifteen, plonked right on the seafront, Thomasina Miers, who's grown on me enormously with her cook's tour of Spain, for best cheap place to eat with Wahaca, her Mexican market eatery, and a cheese-making duo from Cork - Bill Hogan and Sean Ferry. In the readers' awards bit, Nigel Slater won best book for Eating for England and Gordo won best telly programme with Kitchen Nightmares (I can only assume you lot were not including the American series, which I detest) . Find out who else won what here and let us know what you make of it.
And in this here podcast, amongst all the booze guzzling, an abstemious Jay Rayner discusses such serious and important issues as seasonal local ingredients, bad and good organic food, and big forearms with Tom Parker Bowles (much use of the word "bollocks" and a few glasses thrown around for good measure).
He talks to Amanda Bains, wife of Sat, and co-winner of Best Restaurant award, Giles Coren, restaurant critic for the Times gives his verdict and admits he enjoys drinking champagne on the Observer's budget - then somewhat randomly, Al Murray (pub landlord) turns up to talk about interesting puddings.
