Authenticity was a key word in this year's Caterer Group Excellence in Food & Drink Awards, run in association with 3663 First for Foodservice. With consumers becoming ever more discerning, the challenge to food and drink manufacturers is to develop products that help caterers meet their customers' growing demands. And the demand for authentic products, along with healthy and added-value products, is certainly growing.
Over the four days of judging at the London Nautical School in Blackfriars, our panel of chefs, operators and product development experts sifted through hundreds of food and drink products to find what they considered to be the cream of the crop.
From the 12 category winners they chose Brahim's Malaysian Nyonya Sauce, which delivered authenticity by the bucketload, as the Gold Excellence Award winner. One of a range of Brahim's sauces, Malaysian Nyonya Sauce was developed over seven months to plug what the company identified as a gap in the market for authentic sauces and new regional flavours. The aim was to offer an alternative to sauces on the market that have been specifically tailored to the English palate.
The cook-and-serve sauce is made in Malaysia by Dewina Food Industries using a combination of local produce, herbs and spices, and presented in a sealed sachet making at least 10 servings and offering excellent portion control. The judges were bowled over by the flavour and home-made look of the sauce, which captures the
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Below, from left: (back row) Caterer's Mark
Lewis and 3663's Alec Fisher with
representatives of the winning products -
Peter Ridges, Renoo Blindt, William Chase,
Cathy Snelson, David Sanger, Leyla Edwards
and Michael Godwin; and (front row) Tim
Wright, David Heron, Stephen Unwin, Ben
Ellis and Bob Angel |
delicate aromas and flavours of Malaysia and satisfies an increasing demand for more adventurous cuisine.
The other 11 category winners were similarly heaped with praise for meeting other important criteria, such as ease of service, versatility, value for money and great taste.
Predictably, there was no shortage of comments about the products in the Kids' Award category, which was judged this year by a group of 24 eight- and nine-year-olds who attend the Robin Hood Junior School in Sutton, Surrey. Perhaps less predictable was their appreciation of the healthy aspects of some of the products, such as being low in sugar or fat, or without artificial flavours or colours - although it was a sweet treat which got their vote in the end.
The winners were announced at an awards lunch held at London's Dorchester hotel.
Category Shortlists and Winners
Accompaniments and Ingredients-
Winner: and Gold Award winner: Brahim's Malaysian Nyonya Sauce
- Brahim's Indonesian Rendang Sauce
- Brahim's Thai Masaman Curry Sauce
- Heinz SqueezeMe
- Knorr Porcini Mushroom Concentrated Bouillon Paste
- Nestlé Dark Vegetarian Gravy
- Veetee Supreme Basmati Rice
Cheese, Dairy & Milk Products
-
Winner: CréaVite Fraîche
- Kitchen Range Foods Gruyère & Shallot Bites
- Pilgrims Choice Extra Mature Cheddar
Healthy & Ethical Products -
Winner: CréaVite Fraîche
- Mission Foods Low Fat Tortilla
- McCain Lights Chips
Ready Meals
-
Winner: Knorr Collezione Italiana Tortelloni Al Formaggi
- KK Fine Foods Beef & Bacon Casserole
- Knorr Collezione Italiana Spicy Bolognese Pizza
Desserts & Puddings-
Winner: Schöller Mövenpick Ricotta Peach Ice Cream
- Schöller Mövenpick Gingerbread Ice Cream
Meat, Game, Poultry & Fish
- Winner: Artland Meat Bites with Vegetables
- Artland Escalope Cordon Bleu
- Artland Pork Loin Steak
- Young's Chip Shop Cod
Vegetarian
- Winner: KK Fine Foods Brie, Mushroom & Cranberry Wellington
- Bernard Matthews Mushroom & Madeira Wellington
- KK Fine Foods Goats' Cheese & Ricotta Cheesecake
Soft Drinks
- Winner: Cawston Vale Cloudy Apple Juice
- Radnor Hills Honest to Goodness
- Shloer White Grape & Exotic Fruits
Impulse Snacking & Confectionery
- Winner: Tyrrells Mixed Root Vegetables
- Alpen Bar
- House of Dorchester Strawberry & Cream Chocolate Bar
Hot Beverages
- Winner: Nichols Foods Galaxy Instant Hot Chocolate Drink
- Douwe Egberts Espresso
- Nescafé At Work Twin Pack
- Percol Guatemala Organic Arabica Coffee
- PG2Go
Bakery & Sandwiches
- Winner: Bakemark UK's Bon Vivant Fruit Crolines
- Jus-Rol Chillipuffs
- Jus-Rol Sprinkled Canapés
Kids' Award
- Winner: Rollover Candy Floss
- Calypso Clear
- Rollover Toffee Popcorn
- Weetabix Weetos Bar
- Westler Foods King Size Hot Dogs
- Young 'uns Rib Ticklers
- Nesquik
Sponsor's message
3663 First for Foodservice, the UK's leading food service wholesale distributor, has maintained its role as sole sponsor of the Excellence in Food & Drink Awards - which in just its second year is now established as the most prominent and prestigious awards event in food service.
3663 is committed to providing the best selection of choice and quality to its wide customer base, supplying major brand names and an excellent range of products under respected own-label brands. In addition, an unrivalled level of customer care helps caterers to gain the best possible results from their business. A pioneer of excellence in food and drink, 3663 continually sources innovative food and drink products backed by thorough research, development and the support of leading manufacturers.
With a product portfolio that extends from food and drink to alcohol, tableware and equipment, 3663 is ideally positioned as the perfect one-stop solution for all types of catering outlets, reaching the entire food service sector with its extensive service. With the shared aim of raising the profile of excellent food and drink products to the whole industry, the Excellence in Food & Drink Awards creates the perfect partnership with 3663.