Lancashire Life Food & Drink Awards return in 2023

The Lancashire Life Food and Drink Awards are back this year, celebrating the best of the county’s hospitality industry – and it’s now time to nominate or apply.

Honouring the chefs, producers and venues that are ensuring Lancashire remains a great place to find fabulous food and drink.  

The spectacular night of eating, meeting, making friends and celebrating will be held on July 31 at Ribby Hall Holiday Village at Wrea Green.  

Throughout the pandemic, Lancashire Life continued to support and celebrate hospitality businesses and food and drink producers – outlets large and small, rural and urban, emerging and established – to publicise and support their work. 

Every month the magazine serves up a delicious helping of recipes, chef interviews, foodie events, reviews and news.  

The reintroduction of the prestigious and coveted Lancashire Life Food & Drink Awards after a three-year rest will celebrate the wonderful people and places that make our county’s food and drinks industry so special.  

These definitive accolades recognise exceptional individuals and businesses; they will be a mark of how highly each recipient is valued and a symbol of their outstanding contribution to the county.  

The Awards Categories  

Chef of the year

This is awarded to the chef who has devoted themselves to providing the best food the county (and country) has to offer. A cook who is not only turning out the best food you can eat locally but has also propelled Lancashire’s dining scene onto a national stage and consistently raises standards.

Young chef of the year

The one to watch – a person under 25 who is already making a name for themselves amongst their peers, the one that any of Lancashire and Lakeland’s celebrated and many Michelin starred chefs would be keen to have on their team.

Restaurant of the year
The restaurant offering an unrivalled dining experience, including the food, service and setting.

Dining pub of the year
The Lancashire pub where the welcome is as outstanding as the food on the menu. Good beer and great food provenance a must.

City restaurant of the year
Whether they are being awarded Michelin stars for their food or the restaurants attracting diners from across the county, this award is for the city-based restaurant that is on the name of every foodie’s lips. The must-visit place that gets people talking.

Lake District Dining Excellence

The Lake District restaurant or pub showcasing the very best food the region has to offer. This can be a pub, restaurant or a hotel.

Restaurant with rooms

The places that offer the best gourmet breaks, the independent venues foodies clamour to get a booking at where guests not only get a feast to remember but a memorable stay with high standard accommodation and excellent service. There must also be 12 rooms or less.

Tearoom, café, street food of the year

It’s a debate that will forever rumble, but this award will find the place that serves the best tea and coffee – as well as those all-important cakes and bakes.

New opening of the year

A chef/food person/business that has set the county’s food industry alight, turning the gaze on Lancashire/Lakeland. The food venture must have been started in the last 18 months.

Food hero of the year

A person who has made a vital and lasting contribution to the county’s ever-growing food and drink scene – this could be a front of house champion, a famous face shouting about the region’s food and drink, a farmer using new innovations to enhance our food offer, a person heading up a major Lancashire food and drink business. The award goes to the person who goes that extra mile to make Lancashire the tasty county it is.

Food/drink producer of the year

Whether a farmer/chocolatier/gin maker/fruit and veg grower/manufacturer, this food hero will be a person devoted to their business and producing the very best food and drink products Lancashire has to offer.

Independent food/drink retailer of the year

Time to celebrate the county’s best delis, farm shops, bakers and food retailers – the ones who put Lancashire and Lakeland produce at the heart of what they do and provide a go-the-extra-mile service for customers.

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You may enter/nominate in as many of the categories as you wish, simply scan the QR code or click here to find information and the online form. However, you will need to complete an entry form for each category.

Entries close Fri 30 April 2023.

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Main headline picture shows restaurant 263 in Preston – winner of the recent Lancashire Tourism Awards Taste Lancashire Restaurant of the Year.