Antony Worrall Thompson last night presented Brandon Kirby and Mark Snelling of The Alford Arms, Frithsden, Hertfordshire with the Silver Salver for the most allergen-aware eatery, serving the best freefrom food, in the UK, at the inaugural FreeFrom Eating Out Awards at the Food Matters Live event.
The Alford Arms, one of a small chain of Home Counties pub restaurants, was judged to serve the best freefrom food (gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, soya-free) in the FreeFrom Eating Out Awards, launched to raise awareness of the new allergen declaration regulations coming into force this December.
“I am hearing heavenly choirs!” enthused the final round judge who ate, incognito, at the Alford Arms. “As someone with multiple serious allergies, I have NEVER been so well fed and cared for!
“They prepared me a special menu with multiple choices of excellent fresh, imaginative and delicious food, and checked it with me three times, yet on the night I was treated like any other guest – absolutely NO embarrassing fuss!”
Runners up for the accolade were:
1. The Pizza Express Pizza chain who now offer a full, Coeliac UK-accredited, gluten free menu with dairy and soya-free options though out their 400 nationwide restaurants.
“Pizza Express is the one countrywide chain in which I know that, even with all of my allergies (nut, dairy, celery, soya and wheat) I can eat safely and enjoyably. And their gluten-free vegan pizza is a real treat!”
2. HC3S (Hampshire County Council Catering Service) who serve wheat-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free and nut-free meals to all of the 46,000 primary school children within their county so that all of their children, whether on restricted diets or not, can enjoy the same food.
3. Tea42 in Manchester for creating a cool yet vibrant and trendy eatery which is also entirely gluten-free and where the gluten and dairy-free food (especially the cakes!) are to die for!
FreeFrom in foodservice to grow even faster than in retail
Said Awards Director, Michelle Berriedale-Johnson,
“The standard of the entries was exceptionally high while the enthusiasm and commitment of the chefs and owners was really heart warming. We are very excited about the possibilities offered to the food service industry by the freefrom movement and expect freefrom in food service to grow at an even faster rate than the 15% year on year that it has achieved in the retail market.”
Said Wan Mak, Head of Nutrition and Dietetics at awards sponsors, Sodexo,
“We are delighted by the response to the launch of these awards. It is so important that food service is able to implement the new allergen regulations which can help to inform the growing number of people who have to live on restricted diets. We are sure that these awards will help to raise awareness of the regulations and help to encourage compliance.”
The FreeFrom Eating Out Awards are run by the same team as run the very successful FreeFrom Food Awards (now in their 8th year) and the FreeFrom Skincare Awards (now in their 4th year). For further information on freefrom food and the companies concerned, see below.
For more information click here
Winners FreeFrom Eating Out Awards 2014
Sponsored by Sodexo
Overall Winner
The Alford Arms, Frithsden
Runners Up
Tea 42 (Manchester)
Pizza Express
HC3S (Hampshire County Council Catering Services)
Category Winners
B&Bs and Guest Houses
Winner: Ravenstone Manor (Cumbria)
Highly Commended: The Belfry at Yarcombe (Devon)
Commended: Stonecroft, Edale (Peak District)
Individual Cafes, Tearooms and Takeaways – Sponsored by Nairns
Winner: Tea 42 (Manchester)
Highly Commended: Love in a Cup (Frome, Somerset)
Commended: Cafe Society (Huddersfield)
Cookies and Scream (London)
The Real Food Cafe, Tyndrum (Perthshire, Scotland)
Word of Mouth Cafe (Evesham)
Coffee House Chains
Winner: Costa Coffee
Food manufactured for Food Service – Sponsored by Genon Laboratories
Winner: Big Oz Organics gluten free cereal selection pack
Highly Commended: Delicious Alchemy Ginger Cake
Glamour Puds Bakewell Tart
Greens Beers India Pale Ale (beer)
Westerham Brewery William Wilberforce Freedom Ale (beer)
Commended: BFree Multiseed bagels
Ceria gluten free batter mix
Daura Damm (beer)
Ten Acre Crisp The Day Sweet And Sour Became Friends
Pub Restaurants – Sponsored by Green’s Gluten-free Beers
Winner: The Alford Arms (Frithsden, Hertfordshire)
Highly Commended: The Peacock (Warwickshire)
Commended: Tea 42 (Manchester)
Restaurants – Sponsored by Riso Gallo
Individual Restaurants
Winner: Oscar & Bentley’s (Canterbury)
Highly Commended: 2 Oxford Place (Leeds)
Commended: Filmore and Union (Wetherby)
Marine Hotel, Ballycastle (Northern Ireland)
Restaurant Chains
Winner: Pizza Express
Commended: ASK Italian
Schools, colleges and universities – Sponsored by Thomas Ridley Foodservice
Winners: HC3S (Hampshire County Council Catering Services)
Helenswood Academy
Highly Commended: Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge
Plymouth University
St. James Schools
Commended: Caterham School
Southampton Solent University
For more information click here