Taste of Excellence Food and Drink Awards 2021 – Lincolnshire Life hosts Awards night in The Blue Room

Lincolnshire Life’s annual Taste of Excellence Awards took place on Monday 8th November at The Blue Room, The Lawn, Lincoln. Directors and staff of the magazine welcomed over 80 guests from across the county to celebrate wins across twelve categories.

With a smaller scale but in-person event this year, business owners and representatives of the top three finalists in each category attended.

Taste of Excellence 2021 showcased the very best the county has to offer across the food, drink and hospitality sectors. The Lincolnshire Tapas menu was created by Jean-Sebastien Braen and his team at Stokes at The Lawn.

Their menu included mini Grimsby fish and chips with mushy peas, Lincolnshire sausage with red onion and F.A.B.

Lager compote and mini Lincoln Lowfields Farm beef burger. Desserts included Stokes white chocolate and Japanese cherry tea infused tartlet, Welbourne plum bread and Lincolnshire Poacher Cheese and Stokes rich chocolate and coffee tartlet. Singer Michael Courtney kept the guests entertained throughout the evening.

After the main course Kevin Goodger of HIT Training spoke about the opportunities which are now available for apprentice training and development across the food, drink and hospitality sectors as businesses rebuild, post-pandemic.

Lincolnshire Life has now celebrated 25 years of promoting Taste of Excellence. Each year we receive more nominations for more venues and businesses and the response from not only our readers but customers and visitors to these businesses is a positive reflection of the fantastic offering across the county.

The competition would not be possible without the help and support of our sponsors and customers. We would like to say thank you to you all.

Download our special Taste of Excellence 2021 supplement by clicking here

You can view and either purchase a print or download an image/s of the evening by clicking here

BEST CAKES OR BAKES

WINNER
Garden Tea Room, North Hykeham

FINALISTS
Cherry Blossom Cake Designs, Horncastle
Madz For Cake, Mablethorpe

GOLD CITATION
Ayscoughfee Hall Cafe, Spalding
Baked Delights, Lincoln
Bistro bakes from Nice and Naughty Bistro, Market Rasen
Dales Catering, Freiston
Foxy Cakes & Bakes, Horncastle
Lady B’s Cupcakery, Mablethorpe
Something Special, Pinchbeck
The Little Teapot, Laceby
Tilly’s Tea and Gift Shop, Metheringham
Wilcox Bakery, Ruskington

BEST SWEET TREAT

WINNER
Lady B’s Cupcakery, Mablethorpe

FINALISTS
No. 12 Chocolatier, Kirton in Lindsey
Baked Delights, Lincoln

GOLD CITATION
Annie’s Vegan Treats, Horncastle
Ayscoughfee Hall Cafe, Spalding
Bistro bakes from Nice  and Naughty Bistro, Market Rasen
Cherry Blossom Cake Designs, Horncastle
Dales Catering, Freiston
Doughnotts, Lincoln
Garden Tea Room, North Hykeham
Madz for Cake, Mablethorpe
Something Special, Pinchbeck
The Little Teapot, Laceby

BEST TEA OR COFFEE SHOP

WINNER
Tilly’s Tea and Gift Shop, Metheringham

FINALISTS
Garden Tea Room, North Hykeham
Something Special, Pinchbeck

GOLD CITATION
Ayscoughfee Hall Cafe, Spalding
Lady B’s Cupcakery, Mablethorpe
Seven Districts Coffee, Lincoln
Stokes, Lincoln
Tablez Cafe Bistro, Sleaford
The Blitz, Mablethorpe
The Craftea Café, Lincoln
The Little Teapot, Laceby
Walled Garden Baumber, Horncastle
Wilderspin Old School Canteen, Barton-upon-Humber

BEST BED & BREAKFAST

WINNER
Saltfleet Manor House, Louth

FINALISTS
The Grange, East Barkwith
Little Redlands Bed & Breakfast, Lincoln

GOLD CITATION
The Brownlow Arms, Hough-on-the-Hill
Clarkes Farm, Heighington
Eagles Guest House, North Hykeham
Elm Tree, Hundleby
Hope & Anchor, South Ferriby
Leagate Inn, Coningsby
Seashells, Sutton-on-Sea
The George Hotel and Restaurant, Kirton in Lindsey
Watergate Yard, Sleaford
Yarborough Arms, Ulceby

BEST SELF CATERING ESTABLISHMENT

WINNER
K&S Lake View Holiday Homes Ltd, Tattershall

FINALISTS
Ashlin Farm Barns, Dunholme
Doddington Hall, Lincoln

GOLD CITATION
Bainvalley Holiday Cottages, Hemingby
Castle Hotel (Castle Mews), Lincoln
Kingthorpe Manor Farm, Market Rasen
Elms Farm Cottages, Boston
Goys Cottage, Tealby
Hanworth Country Park, Lincoln
Ingoldmells Holidays, Ingoldmells
Railway Tavern Cottages, Aby
Tattershall Lakes Country Park, Tattershall
The Grange, East Barkwith

BEST HOTEL

WINNER
The Tower Hotel, Lincoln

FINALISTS
Petwood Hotel, Woodhall Spa
Washingborough Hall Hotel, Lincoln

GOLD CITATION
Brackenborough Hotel, Louth
Castle Hotel, Lincoln
Cley Hall Hotel, Spalding
DoubleTree Forest Pines, Brigg
DoubleTree, Lincoln
Dower House Hotel, Woodhall Spa
Healing Manor Hotel, Grimsby
Kenwick Park, Louth
Lincoln Hotel, Lincoln
White Hart Hotel, Lincoln

BEST INDEPENDENT FARM OR LOCAL SHOP

WINNER
Doddington Hall Farm Shop, Lincoln

FINALISTS
Graham Fidling Traditional Butchers, Woodhall Spa
Manor Farm Shops Leasingham, Sleaford

GOLD CITATION
Aubourn Farm Shop, Lincoln
Butcher & Block, Lincoln
Farmer Browns Ice Cream, Huttoft
Gelston Lamb, Gelston
Ivy Farm Shop, Swineshead
Leagate Farm Shop, Coningsby
Fisher’s Farm Shop, Immingham
NHP Sibsey, Woodhall Spa
Uncle Henry’s, Grayingham
Williamsons Farm Shop, Gainsborough

BEST DRINKS PRODUCT

WINNER
Massingberd-Mundy Burrell’s Dry Gin, South Ormsby

FINALISTS
Bottomley Distillers – Pin Gin, Louth
Stokes Tea & Coffee, Lincoln

GOLD CITATION
A Little Luxury Distillery, Sleaford
Batemans, Skegness
Belvoir Fruit Farms, Bottesford
Dam Raider Gin, Mablethorpe
Docks Beers, Grimsby
Ferry Ales Brewery, Fiskerton
Lincoln Gin, Lincoln
Lincoln Tea and Coffee Co, Lincoln
Seven Districts Coffee, Lincoln
Shop House Coffee Roastery, North Lincolnshire

BEST PRODUCER

WINNER
Gelston Lamb, Gelston

FINALISTS
No. 12 Chocolatier, Kirton in Lindsey
Farmer Browns Ice Cream, Huttoft

GOLD CITATION
Boston Sausage, Boston
Butcher & Block, Lincoln
Cote Hill Cheese, Market Rasen
Doddington Hall, Lincoln
Graham Fidling Traditional Butchers, Woodhall Spa
Lincolnshire Honey, Spalding
Lincolnshire Poacher Cheese, Alford
Myers Lincolnshire Plum Bread, Horncastle
Uncle Henry’s Sausages, Grayingham
Wilcox Bakery, Sleaford

BEST NEWCOMER

WINNER
Butcher & Block, Lincoln

FINALISTS
Shop House Coffee Roastery, North Lincolnshire
Slow Rise, Lincoln

GOLD CITATION
Ayscoughfee Hall Cafe, Spalding
The Marina Fish & Chips, Skegness
Elite on the Bail, Lincoln
Hope & Anchor, Barton-upon-Humber
Madz for Cake, Mablethorpe
Meg’s Kitchen, Lincoln
Roco BBQ, Lincolnshire
Seven Districts Coffee, Lincoln
The George at Langworth, Lincoln
The Queens Head, Kirkby-La-Thorpe

BEST DINING PUB

WINNER
The Bottle & Glass, Harby

FINALISTS
The Brownlow Arms, Hough-on-the-Hill
The George, Kirton in Lindsey

GOLD CITATION
The Cross Keys, Stow
Five Bells, Bassingham
Market Lounge, Witham St Hughs
Railway Tavern, Aby
Red Lion, Caythorpe
The Black Bull, Donington
The Red Lion, Digby
Three Horseshoes, Scotton
The White Bear, Epworth
Yarborough Arms, Ulceby

BEST RESTAURANT

WINNER
The Cross Keys Inn, Grasby

FINALISTS
Olé Olé Tapas Bar and Restaurant, Lincoln
Tower Hotel No. Thirty8, Lincoln

GOLD CITATION
Ayscoughfee Hall Cafe, Spalding
The Black Bull, Donington
The Brownlow Arms, Hough-on-the-Hill
The Cross Keys, Stow
Elite on The Bail, Lincoln
Lawson’s Bar and Bistro, Lincoln
Nice and Naughty,  Market Rasen
The Queens Head, Kirkby-La-Thorpe
Tablez Cafe Bistro, Sleaford
Yarborough Arms, Ulceby

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