Do you deliver award winning quality?

Customer expectations are rising, competition is fierce and food service operators need a point of difference in their offering. Sourcing the right products is paramount, and at the Caterer and Hotelkeeper Excellence in Food & Drink Awards, in association with 3663 First for Foodservice, we're proud to shine a light on products that deliver that bit extra in terms of taste, appearance and usability.

To enter the Excellence in Food & Drink Awards, download an entry form (pdf) here.

Provenance and authenticity are now key words in our industry, with the origin of ingredients increasingly loudly declared on menus.

Additionally, there has never been a greater demand on kitchens to cater for those with allergies and other dietary requirements. Last year’s awards saw an increase in entries from smaller, local & regional suppliers and we hope to see even more this year in what has become the most prestigious food and drink awards in the hospitality industry.

Croydon College Skills and Enterprise College (SEC) Hospitality Department are hosting this year’s judging and the 2008 awards lunch will be held on Friday 21 November at The Dorchester, Park Lane, a fitting venue for applauding excellence.

The closing date for entries is Thursday 29 May 2008.

To enter the Excellence in Food & Drink Awards, download an entry form (pdf) here. Alternatively you can e-mail shiva.hobson@rbi.co.uk or call 020 8652 3094

There are awards for each of the following categories:

• Accompaniments & ingredients
• Alcoholic drinks
• Bakery
• Cheese, dairy & milk products
• Confectionery & impulse snacking
• Desserts & puddings
• Fair-trade, organic & ethical products
• Food on the go
• Hot beverages 
• Ice-creams
• Innovation award
• Kids’ main meals
• Kids’ snacks & drinks
• Main courses and centre of plate
• meat, game, poultry & fish
• Soft drinks & juices
• Starters, side orders & buffet products
• Vegetarian

A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR

Raising the profile of great food and drink products in the industry is something 3663 strives for. We want to actively encourage others to set their sights on excellence too, and the Excellence in Food & Drink Awards provide the perfect platform for companies who are producing winning products to showcase their achievements.
The awards are now recognised as a coveted achievement for suppliers and we are proud to continue our association with the Excellence in Food & Drink awards.
Suppliers and producers are facing increasing pressures from consumers to deliver high quality products that meet changing tastes, lifestyles, specialist diets and attitude. The response to these challenges from producers is spectacular, with new products regularly making their mark in the industry.

Particularly admirable are the developments in sustainable and ethical products, which are becoming more widely available and thanks to certification from bodies such as the MSC and Red Tractor, easier to recognise.

At 3663 we believe that excellence and quality are attributes that every company in our industry should be working towards. It is for this reason that we are proudly supporting the Excellence in Food & Drink Awards for the sixth consecutive year, and will continue to celebrate and promote product quality and innovation.

We hope, as with the last five years, that 2008 will see many more new and innovative products – the key to keeping this industry fresh, exciting and up to date.

Fred Barnes, chief executive