The winners of the 2014 Observer Food Monthly Awards, in association with Cuisinart, were announced at a ceremony in London on 16 October 2014.
The awards are now in their eleventh year and champion the best growers, producers, restaurants, chefs, food initiatives and retailers in Britain. Co-hosted by Sue Perkins and Jay Rayner, this year’s celebration saw winners receiving bespoke chef’s knife trophies specially created by Blok knives for the event.
Nigella Lawson won the coveted award for best food personality, a reader-voted category. Judges gave the award for outstanding contribution to Shaun Hill, a longstanding institution in the British food scene, and currently head chef at the Michelin-starred Walnut Tree Inn in Llanddewi Skirrid. The best restaurant award – voted by readers – went to the Ledbury in London.
Judges gave the award for best newcomer to Gloucester M5 Services Northbound, an innovative food business with a unique approach to running motorway services, offering locally sourced, seasonal food and produce.
Other winners included Delifonseca deli and restaurant in Liverpool, which took the best independent retailer prize, and April Lily Partridge, who won young chef of the year, a category supported by awards sponsor Cuisinart.
Observer Food Monthly editor and awards founder Allan Jenkins said:
“The revolution in British food in this, the 11th year of the Observer Food Monthly awards, is apparent in the range and diversity of this year’s winners. Whether it’s an unsung chef producing brilliant Michelin star food in Abergavenny at 67, or a craft beer utopia in Leeds, or a motorway service station outside Gloucester baking world-class cakes, the days of London’s crushing domination of the food scene are finally over. Hell, the best deli in the UK according to our readers is now in Liverpool. That’s something for everyone to celebrate.”
Reader-voted categories
- Best restaurant (supported by Kikkoman) – Ledbury in London
- Best cheap eats – Silk Road in Camberwell
- Best Sunday lunch – Colonel Fawcett, Camden
- Best new cookbook – Persiana: Sabrina Ghayour
- Best ethical restaurant (supported by Visit Sweden) – Friska in Bristol
- Best independent retailer – Delifonseca in Liverpool
- Best place to drink – Friends of Ham, Leeds
- Best food blog (supported by Weber) – Jack Monroe
- Best food personality (supported by Grana Padano) – Nigella Lawson
Judge voted categories
- Best producer (supported by Jarlsberg) – Cabrito Goat Meat
- Best newcomer – Gloucester Services, M5 Northbound
- Outstanding contribution – Shaun Hill (pictured above)
- Young chef of the year (supported by Cuisinart) – April Lily Partridge
- Best local farmer (supported by Waitrose) – Richard Stephens at Monkshill Farm, Kent
- Best reader’s recipe (supported by NEFF) – Smokin’ Pig Licker Brownies by Gavan Knox of Mr. Mom’s in Surrey
- Best food photography – ‘Sun drying octopi in Crete’ by Irina Wang
For more information on the awards click here or pick up a copy of OFM on Sunday 19 October 2014, free with The Observer.
Top: Nigella Lawson accepts her award for best food personality at the 2014 Observer Food Monthly awards. (Photograph: Alicia Canter/The Guardian)
