The Winners of the Young British Foodies (YBFs) 2014 were announced 3 September at a ceremony hosted at TATE Britain and attended by many of the great and good of the food industry.
Young food and drink talent – across the UK
The YBFs Awards has firmly established its role to discover and shine the spotlight on new and innovative UK food talent. In its third year, the winners line up is stronger than ever; Chloe Scott Moncrieff, food journalist and one of the three founders explains, “The awards have been extra special this year. From the ballsy butchers to the incredible bakers to the new young chefs, not only was the calibre of YBF finalists dazzling, but awards night at Tate Britain was a stellar affair. It was wild and most importantly, celebratory. We’re here to celebrate the new young food & drink talent coming through across Britain. This year, nearly 50% of our winners weren’t London-based but hailed from everywhere from Cornwall to Suffolk to Scotland, showing the Young British Foodies is a truly national movement.”
There are ten categories judged by an impressive list of judges, and the winners are…
| CATEGORY: FOOD-WRITING
JUDGES: Yotam Ottolenghi, Tracey MacLeod, Marina O’Loughlin and Fay Maschler WINNER: Misti Traya: Chagrinnamon Toast “There’s something fresh and candid, almost cheeky, in Misti’s voice; it is disarming and charming.” Yotam Ottolenghi |
| CATEGORY: COCKTAILS & ALCOHOL
JUDGES: Judged by Tony Conigliaro, Alice Lascelles, Gareth Smith and Anistatia Miller WINNER: Carl Brown: Daru-wallah of Dishoom ‘Carl Brown is a win! Love the “pegged” service technique, using 2 different sizes of bottles, allowing customers to pour their own and add the “dividend” when desired. The fact that the drinks are barrel-aged for service makes it a double win. LOVE the story behind the concept. Historical relevance is sexy.’ Anistatia MIller |
| CATEGORY: CHEFFING
JUDGES: Nuno Mendes, Margot Henderson and James Knappett WINNER: Tomos Parry (pictured top left): Climpson’s ‘Tomos proposed a super tasty and very interesting 5 course menu focusing on the use of the grill and charcoal, where every dish showcased this technique in an innovative and delicate way. His past cooking experiences together with his current offer at Climpsons Arch make him a perfect candidate for the YBF’s’ NUno |
| CATEGORY: HONORARY
JUDGES: Amy Thorne, Chloe Scott and Lily Vanilli (YBF FOUNDERS) WINNER: Dana Elmara: founder of Arganic “Dana won because not only is her argan oil from the Berbers in Morocco delicious, healthy and will give all British salads a makeover but the story behind her business, is incredible, emotionally inspiring and shows she has a truly doughty spirit.” Chloe Scott-Moncrieff |
| CATEGORY: MEAT
JUDGES: James George , Richard Turner & Neil Rankin WINNER: Tim Matthews: The Artisan Smokehouse “The Artisan Smokehouse’s provenance and attention to detail shone through. Delicious. We also loved the use of Tim’s dad’s allotment for the vegetables.” James George |
| CATEGORY: BAKING
JUDGES: Lily Vanilli, Claire Ptak and Tom Baker WINNER: Sarah Lemanski (pictured top right): Noisette Bakehouse “It was Sarah Lemanski’s incredibly versatile creativity with the flavour and presentation of her baking, as well as her passion and the work she does helping her local food community to grow that made her stand out from very stiff competition. Sarah embodies the YBFs and we will be proud to have her as an ambassador.” Lily Vanilli |
| CATEGORY: COFFEE
JUDGES: Tim Styles and Marco Arrigo WINNER: Luke Suddards & Hugh Duffie: Sandows “Enterprising, enthusiastic, courageous, passionate and driven, Hugh and Luke are exploring unchartered waters in the UK coffee market. Ones to watch — now and into the future — Sandows London are the Coffee category’s 2014 Young British Foodies.” Tim Styles |
| CATEGORY: NEW! 2014 Vegetables winner
JUDGES: Bruno Loubet, Simon Rogan and Ms Marmite Lover WINNER: Sean O’Neill: the Modern Salad Grower “I am very pleased that Sean O’Neill from the modern salad grower has won the vegetable category. His unique collection of a seemingly common ingredient – a bunch of leaves presented in a shot glass, masquerading as a lemonade – really blew the judges away. In a city overrun by trends and fads, both the winner, and the Young British Foodies Foundation have reminded us to put the ingredient back in the heart of the dish. I am very pleased to be associated with these awards truly represent the best of British innovation and entrepreneurship. Bruno Loubet |
| CATEGORY: Street-food
JUDGES: Petra Barran, Claire Kelsey and Nichola Smith WINNER: Radhika Mohendas:Dorshi “Dorshi’s expression is one of colour, creativity, fun and a staunch commitment to sourcing locally.Their presence on the street stands out tenfold. It’s healthy to boot. They’re effortlessly kewl and just the ticket for any street food event.” Petra Barran |
| CATEGORY: Experiential
JUDGES: Bompas and Parr and Alexa Perrin WINNER: The Robin Collective |
The YBFs was founded by Chloe Scott-Moncrieff, food journalist; baker Lily Vanilli, Lily Jones, and Amy Thorne, founder and MD of TASTE PR.
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