THE best of East Yorkshire's food and drink industry has been celebrated at a new awards ceremony.
Two leading award schemes, which aim to showcase local food and drink, have joined forces for the first time.
Beverley Town Council's Food Festival Awards and the East Yorkshire Local Food Network Awards combined to recognise top producers at a ceremony attended by 200 people at the Tickton Grange Hotel.
Beverley Mayor Councillor Paul McGrath said: "This is the first time these two leading awards have come together to promote the best of the local food and drink industry.
"The Beverley Food Festival Awards have grown in popularity over the years, but they only recognised food and drink.
"We realised many other categories deserved to be rewarded so, by joining with the East Yorkshire Local Food Network, we have created a bigger and better awards event."
New categories included a local food hero, won by Beverley town clerk Helen Watson, and best retailer of local produce, won by Vanessa Deli & Cafe, of Beverley.
Award-winners included Three Little Pigs, of Kiplingcotes, for best sausage; Shepcote of Driffield for best confectionary, and Saints & Sinners of Beverley for best bread.The mayor, whose council launched the Beverley Food Festival Awards eight years ago, said food and drink businesses are a key part of the local economy.
He said: "It's massively important to the local economy in East Yorkshire. In some ways we are quite unique in that there are still a lot of producers selling locally to people.
"The food and drink industry is also important for tourism because visitors want to try to buy local produce. It draws people in and is a vital part of the economy.
"We have some high-quality producers, some of whom are nationally recognised. Some of our producers also link up together on products, which is also good for business."
Mark Farnsworth, board director at East Yorkshire Local Food Network, said: "The aim of the awards is to showcase the fantastic food and drink we have in the area.
"It was a great opportunity for local food and drink businesses to come and put their wares on the table and benchmark themselves against everyone else.
"The success stories from across East Yorkshire are fantastic.
"We are so lucky to have such a thriving food and drink network within East Yorkshire. We are accelerating at a pace that I didn't think was achievable.
"We have restaurants, cafés, farm shops and local food stores all sourcing produce as locally as they can."
And the winners are ...Award-winners included:
Local food hero: Beverley town clerk Helen Watson.
Meat product: Williams Farm Kitchen.
Fish product: What A Catch.
Best sausage: Three Little Pigs.
Non-alcoholic drink: Side Oven Bakery.
Alcoholic drink: Grange Range of Liqueurs.
Savoury baked product: TC Patisserie.
Sweet baked product: TC Patisserie.
Condiment: Staal Smokehouse and Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil.
Bread: Saints & Sinners.
Jam/preserve: Derwent Preserves.
Pickle/chutney: Bracken Hill Fine Foods.
Dairy product: St Quintins Creamery.
Confectionery product: Shepcote.
Retailer of local produce: Vanessa Deli & Cafe, Beverley.
Food and drink event: Cottingham Food Festival.
Local menu: The Dining Room, Driffield.
Café menu: Vanessa Deli & Cafe.
Local menu (accommodation providers): The Wolds Village, Bainton.
• Business news for Hull and East Yorkshire
