There’s still time to have your say in the 2025 Cumbria Food Awards.
Food and drink fans from throughout the county have been getting in touch to nominate their favourite cafés, pubs, restaurants and chefs.
And business owners have been telling the awards team why they deserve to be recognised.
The annual independent awards, held in association with Caterite, take place on Thursday 20 March at Kendal College.
The host will be TV presenter and chef Matt Tebbutt, from BBC One’s Saturday Kitchen.
The awards were designed to recognise and celebrate excellence in the hospitality industry from all parts of Cumbria.
This year, a new award will be presented to the county’s Takeaway or Street Food Trader of the Year. Other awards are for Pub of the Year, Food Producer of the Year, Casual Dining Venue of the Year, Chef of the Year and Acclaimed Restaurant of the Year.
More than 160 finalists, sponsors and special guests will attend the awards evening at Kendal College, where students will cook and serve canapés and a two-course dinner, while Matt Tebbutt announces the winners.
Judged by an independent panel, the awards are free to enter and are organised by Michaela Robinson-Tate and Harry Atkinson.
Michaela said: “Entries and nominations for the awards have been coming in thick and fast but there is still time to get involved.
“If you love a restaurant or café, or you think your team deserves to be on the stage with Matt Tebbutt, go to the awards website to enter. You have to be in it to win it.”
How the awards nominations and entries work:
- Members of the public are invited to nominate their favourites in as many categories as they wish. The awards are not decided by public vote but the nominations will inform the judges’ selection.
- Business owners can enter the appropriate category.
- The nominations and business entries are used to create a long list for the judges’ consideration.
- The long list will be whittled down to a shortlist of three or four finalists for each category.
- Judging visits and tastings take place before the winners are selected.
Cumbria Food Awards are supported by headline sponsor Caterite, media partner Cumbria Crack, Kendal College, Booths, Patron Simon Rogan and our category sponsors below.
To enter, visit our entries page.
Cumbria Food Awards 2025 categories open for entries and nominations:
- Specialist Food Retailer of the Year sponsored by Hawkshead Relish
- Food Producer of the Year
- Drinks Producer of the Year sponsored by Grapevine
- Service of the Year sponsored by the Academy by Simon Rogan
- Pub, Bar or Taproom of the Year sponsored by Herdwick Cottages
- Sustainable Business of the Year
- Takeaway or Street Food Trader of the Year sponsored by Cranstons
- New Business of the Year sponsored by Thomson Hayton Winkley
- Café of the Year sponsored by Cumbria Crack
- Casual Dining Venue of the Year sponsored by Enterprise Answers
- Contemporary Restaurant of the Year sponsored by Lamont Pridmore
- Acclaimed Restaurant of the Year sponsored by More? The Artisan Bakery
- Chef of the Year sponsored by Westmorland Farmshop
- Restaurant of the Year sponsored by More? The Artisan Bakery
Special awards (no nominations sought)
- The Rising Star Award sponsored by Kendal College
- Cumbrian Food Hero sponsored by Caterite