Chefs’ Choice Awards: meet the winners

By Michael Stones

- Last updated on GMT

Tasty winners: Introducing the winners and finalists in the new Chefs' Choice Awards
Tasty winners: Introducing the winners and finalists in the new Chefs' Choice Awards

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The inaugural Chefs’ Choice Awards last night in central London celebrated foodservice sector innovation. Meet the winners, highly-rated entries and the finalists.

Booker Food Group, Brakes and Caterforce were among the winners in the new awards, which highlighted the top achievement of foodservice suppliers from wholesalers thorough to food makers.

Judged by chefs for chefs, the awards showcase best in class operators who deliver quality, innovation, value and great taste in their frozen, fresh, chilled or ambient products.

The Chefs’ Choice Product of the Year Award was won by Booker Group for its Chefs’ Larder Chocolate Fudge Brownie.

Chefs’ Choice Product of the Year

Finalists in this category were Brakes for its Ready to Serve Continental Cheese Selection and Mövenpick Ice Cream’s Swiss Chocolate Ice Cream.

Don’t miss a full list of winners, highly-rated entries and finalists in the box below.

Organised by the Food Manufacture Group’s publisher William Reed, the awards offer all category winners, highly-rated entries and finalists the opportunity to use the awards’ endorsement logos on packaging and in all marketing.

Endorsement logos

Event director and publisher of the Food Manufacture Group Sonia Young said the industry asked William Reed to organise the awards to enhance the sector. “These awards will allow businesses in the foodservice supply chain to compete head-to-head in core product categories and secure a competitive advantage via independent assessment of eating quality, value and taste,​ said Young.

“They also highlight great development work that’s delivering value to thousands of customers in pubs and bars, restaurants, hotels, cafes and other hospitality outlets.”

Commenting at the awards’ launch last year William Reed md retail and manufacturing Lorraine Hendle said: “Suppliers have told us they want a process by which they could secure a wholly independent assessment of their product development work, quality output and recipe innovation. These awards meet that demand.”

Taking place at the Haymarket Hotel in London, the awards were supported by the Food Manufacture Group’s sister titles Morning Advertiser​, Restaurant​ and The Grocer ​in association with Food Innovation Solutions.

Meanwhile, don’t miss this video interview​ capturing the judges’ comments on the industry innovation highlighted in the new awards.

Chefs’ Choice Awards: meet the winners

Bread and Morning Goods

Finalists

  • Booker Group – Chef’s Larder Premium Brioche Buns
  • New York Bakery Company – Croll
  • Bidfood – Premium Selection Farmhouse Cheddar Cheese & Chutney Bloomer
  • Bidfood – Premium Selection Five Seed & Farmhouse Cheddar Cheese Bloomer

 

Highly Rated: ​Bidfood – Premium Selection Farmhouse Cheddar Cheese & Chutney Bloomer. Bidfood  - Five Seed & Farmhouse Cheddar Cheese Bloomer

Winner: ​New York Bakery Company – Croll

 

Cheese and Dairy Products

Finalists

  • Brakes – British Individual Cheeseboard
  • Booker Group – Chef’s Larder Premium Taw Valley Mature Cheddar
  • Booker Group – Chef’s Larder Tuxford and Tebbutt Blue Stilton
  • Brakes – Ready to Serve Continental Cheese Selection

 

Highly Rated: ​Booker Group – Chef’s Larder Premium Taw Valley Mature Cheddar

Winner: ​Brakes – Ready to Serve Continental Cheese Selection

 

Condiments

Finalists

  • Booker Group – Chef’s Larder Pesto Alla Genovese
  • Booker Group - Chef’s Larder Premium Caramelised Red Onion Chutney
  • Booker Group - Chef’s Larder Premium Real Mayonnaise
  • LoSalt – LoSalt Original

 

Highly Rated: ​Booker Group’s – Pesto Alla Genovese

Winner: ​Chef’s Larder - Premium Real Mayonnaise

 

Finished Desserts

Finalists

  • Brakes – Granola Topped Blackcurrant and Goji Berry Roulade
  • Belfield – Chocolate Coated Salted Caramel Profiteroles
  • Bidfood- Premium Selection Belgian Chocolate Salted Caramel Mousse Dome
  • Brakes – Salted Caramel and Chocolate Tart

 

Highly Rated: ​Brakes  – Granola Topped Blackcurrant and Goji Berry Roulade

Winner:​ Belfield – Chocolate Coated Salted Caramel Profiteroles

 

Beverages

Finalists 

  • Bidfood- Black & White Costa Rican 100% Arabica Medium Roast Beans
  • Booker Group – Lichfields Fairtrade Gourmet Espresso Beans
  • Booker Group – Lichfields Flavoured Tea, Red Berries
  • Wenlock Spring – Still Water

 

Highly Rated

  • Booker Group – Lichfields Flavoured Tea - Red Berries
  • Wenlock Spring – Still Water

Winner:​  Booker Group with Litchfield Fair Trade Gourmet Espresso Beans

 

Cheesecake

Finalists

  • Booker Group – Chef’s Larder Premium New York Cheesecake
  • Bestway Wholesale – Essentially Catering Premium Madagascan Vanilla Cheesecake
  • Brakes – Muscovado and Speculoos Cheesecake
  • Bidfood– Premium Selection Popping Prosecco Lemon Cheesecake Torte

 

Highly Rated

  • Bestway Wholesale  – Essentially Catering Premium Madagascan Vanilla Cheesecake.
  • Booker Group – Chefs’ Larder Premium New York Cheesecake

Winner: ​Brakes – Muscovado and Speculoos Cheesecake

 

Cakes, Biscuits and Scones

Finalists

  • Booker Group – Chef’s Larder Premium Luxury Biscuit Assortment
  • Bidfood– Premium Selection Hummingbird Cake
  • Bidfood– Premium Selection Spiced Parsnip, Maple & Pecan Cake
  • Caterforce – Superfood Fruit Cake

 

Highly Rated

  • Booker Group – Chef’s Larder Premium Luxury Biscuit Assortment
  • Bidfood – Premium Selection Hummingbird Cake
  • Caterforce – Superfood Fruit Cake

Winner: ​Bidvest – Premium Spiced Parsnip, Maple and Pecan Cake

 

Lamb and Pork

Finalists

  • Booker Group – Chef’s Larder Premium Wild Boar Hot Dogs
  • Booker Group – Chef’s Larder Smoked Grilled Bacon
  • Bestway Wholesale – Essentially Catering Premium Back Bacon

 

Highly Rated: B​estway Wholesale  –  Essentially Catering Premium Back Bacon

Winner: B​ooker Group  – Chef’s Larder Premium Wild Boar Hot Dogs.

 

Fish and Shellfish

Finalists

  • Brakes – ASC King Prawns
  • Brakes – Cold Smoked Salmon Portions
  • Attilus Caviar – Fresh Sturgeon Caviar

 

Highly Rated: ​Attilus Caviar – Fresh Sturgeon Caviar

Winner: ​Brakes – Cold Salmon Portions

 

Ice Cream and Sorbet

Finalists

  • Booker Group – Chef's Larder Premium Luxury Madagascan Vanilla Dairy Ice Cream
  • Minioti – Premium Strawberry Ice Cream
  • Mövenpick Ice Cream – Raspberry Sorbet
  • Mövenpick Ice Cream – Swiss Chocolate Ice Cream

 

Winner: ​Mövenpick Ice Cream – Swiss Chocolate Ice Cream

 

Beef

Finalists

  • Brakes – Beef Rib with Salt and Pepper
  • Booker Group – Blackgate Signature Beef Roasting Joint
  • Booker Group – Blackgate Signature Chain off Fillet Steak
  • Brakes – Tomahawk Steak

 

Highly Rated: Brakes​ – Beef Rib with Salt and Pepper

Winner:​ Brakes – Tomahawk Steak

 

Meal Accompaniments

Finalists

  • Booker Group – Chef’s Larder Buttery Mash Potato
  • Farm Frites UK & Ireland – Ultimate Chips
  • Riso Gallo UK – Gran Riserva Rice
  • Brakes – Wheatberry Apple & Cranberry Salad

 

Highly Rated

  • Booker Group – Chef’s Larder Buttery Mash
  • Riso Gallo UK – Gran Riserva Rice.

Winner:​ Farm Frites UK & Ireland – Ultimate Chips

 

 

Party and Buffet Foods

Finalists

  • Booker Group – Chef’s Larder Coronation Chicken Filler
  • Brakes – Japanese Karaage King Prawns
  • Caterforce – Panko Coated Squid Strips
  • Bidvest Food Service – Premium Selection British Sausage Roll

 

Highly Rated

  • Brakes for Japanese Karaage King Prawns
  • Bidfood – Premium Selection British Sausage Roll,

 

Winner:​ Booker Group – Chef’s Larder Coronation Chicken Filler

 

Ready Meals

Finalists

  • Booker Group – Chef’s Larder Beef Lasagne
  • Brakes – Penang Chicken Curry
  • Brakes – Slow Cooked Hickory Smoked BBQ Beef Brisket
  • Brakes – Venison Lasagne

 

Highly Rated

  • Brakes – Penang Chicken Curry
  • Brakes – Slow Cooked BBQ Beef Brisket

 

Winner: ​Brakes – Venison Lasagne

 

 

Poultry Products

Finalists

  • Booker Group – Chef’s Essentials Chicken Breast Fillets
  • Booker Group – Chef’s Larder Crispy Chicken Bites
  • Booker Group – Chef’s Larder Spicy Chicken Pops
  • Brakes – Shredded Aromatic Duck

 

Highly Rated:​ Booker Group – Chef’s Larder Crispy Chicken Bites

 

Winner: ​Booker Group – Chef’s Larder Spicy Chicken Pops

 

Vegetables

Finalists

  • Booker Group – Chef’s Larder Italian Peeled Plum Tomatoes
  • Bestway Wholesale – Essentially Catering Reduced Salt & Sugar Baked Beans
  • Booker Group – Farm Fresh Peeled Garlic

 

Winner: B​estway Wholesale – Essentially Catering Reduced Salt & Sugar Baked Beans

 

Products Sold as Free-From

Finalists

  • Booker Group – Chef’s Larder Chocolate Fudge Brownie
  • Booker Group – Chef’s Larder Fine Gravy Granules
  • Booker Group – Chef’s Larder Premium Extra Chunky Gourmet Chips

 

Winner:​ Booker – Chef’s Larder Chocolate Fudge Brownie

 

Vegetarian Ready Meals

Finalists

  • Brakes – Individual Portions of Paneer Saag & Gobi Masala
  • Bidfood – Premium Selection Butternut Squash, Aubergine, Feta and Pomegranate Moussaka
  • Bidfood ​– Premium Selection Green Pesto Roulade

 

Winner: ​Bidfood – Premium Selection Butternut Squash, Aubergine, Feta and Pomegranate Moussaka

 

Chefs’ Choice Product of the Year

Finalists

  • Booker Group – Chef’s Larder Chocolate Fudge Brownie
  • Brakes – Ready to Serve Continental Cheese Selection 
  • Mövenpick Ice Cream – Swiss Chocolate Ice Cream

 

Winner: ​Booker Group – Chefs’ Larder Chocolate Fudge Brownie

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