Organisers of the Taste Cheshire Awards have again reported a record number of votes cast in the Annual Hospitality Awards.

This is the 18th year of the awards and this year’s winners will be joining an illustrious role of honour at the ceremony on April 19 in the Pavilion at Chester Racecourse.

Taste Cheshire general manager Lisa Edwards said that more than 40,000 votes were cast.

She said: “Last year we exceeded 30,000 votes and we thought that would take some beating but we have again exceeded that figure with another 25% increase. People simply love to vote for their favourite place to eat, drink and buy the best the county has to offer. Now comes the hard part for our judges.

2016 winners of Best Large Restaurant at the Taste Cheshire Food and Drink Awards
2016 winners of Best Large Restaurant at the Taste Cheshire Food and Drink Awards

“The voting process has now finished and nominees will now be mystery dined and shopped by our judging panel with the difficult job of finding the winners.

“Our congratulations to every nominee, you have achieved the most important part already - the recognition by your customers that you are their favourite.”

The nominations in each category are:

Local Produce Shop of the Year

Applegates

Cheerbrook Farm Shop

The Hollies Farm Shop

The Lambing Shed Farm Shop

2017 Festival Sausage Competition

Cottom Foods of Widnes

Hawarden Estate Farm Shop, Hawarden

David Joinson, Chester

Ernest W Edge and Son, Handbridge

Cottom Foods of Widnes

R F Burrows, Tarporley

Pen y Lan Pork

Young Chef Challenge

James Higgins, South Cheshire College

Richard Postles, South Cheshire College

Matthew Evans, South Cheshire College

Melissa Brown, West Cheshire College

Family Friendly Venue of the Year

Coffee Tots Play café, Chester

The Faulkner, Hoole

Hickory’s Smokehouse, Chester

Little Tap, Tarporley

The White Horse, Chester Racecourse

Best Use of Local Produce in A Menu

Liam McKay of the Chefs Table

The Chefs Table, Chester

George and Dragon, Holmes Chapel

The Chester Fields

The Pheasant Inn, Tattenhall

Best Sandwich Shop

Bloom, Nantwich

Monks Delicatessen, Runcorn

Doorsteps, Handbridge

The Cheshire Sandwich Company, Chester

Best Newcomer

Elephant Bank, Neston

Machine House, Rossett

Olive Tree Brasserie, Chester

The Galley, Ellesmere Port

The Olive Tree Brasserie
The Olive Tree Brasserie

Best Deli

DeFine Food and Wine, Sandiway

Whitmore and White, Frodsham

Deli Vert, Hoole

Monks Delicatessen, Runcorn

Best Café

Benty Farm Tearooms, Wirral

Elephant Lounge, Parkgate

Enzo, Nantwich

Little Yellow Pig, Chester

Best Bar

Barlounge, Chester

Liquor and Co, Chester

The Suburbs, Hoole

Red Door, Chester

The Boardroom, Chester

Best Pub

The Faulkner, Hoole

The Fishpool Inn, Delamere

George and Dragon, Holmes Chapel

Marlborough Arms, Chester

The Pheasant Inn, Tattenhall

Excellence in Customer Care

Ginger Wine Bar, Chester

HE Cowards, Frodsham

Little Tap, Tarporley

Piste, Tarporley

Best Small Restaurant

The Chefs Table, Chester

Chime Hartford, Northwich

Cornichon at the Gunnery, Tarvin

Piste, Tarporley

The Yard, Chester

Best Large Restaurant

Hickory's Smokehouse on the Groves in Chester

The Chester Fields, Chester

Hickory’s Smokehouse, Chester

Olive Tree Brasserie, Chester

The Royal Oak, Kelsall

George and Dragon, Holmes Chapel.

The awards dinner is a glittering affair with more than 350 from the industry assembling after the Chester Food and Drink Festival to find out who has won.

For more information about the Food and Drink Festival or the awards dinner go to chesterfoodanddrink.co.uk.