Winners of Produced in Kent’s Taste of Kent Awards 2020 announced

The winners of Produced in Kent’s Taste of Kent Awards 2020 can now be revealed following a glittering black-tie dinner at the Kent Event Centre

Kent’s ultimate food and drink champions have been crowned, from the tastiest food and drink products, best producers, growers, restaurants, pubs and shops.

The winners are:

Kent Hop Grower of the Year, sponsored by BTF Partnership and Shepherd NeameGM Day and Sons from East Peckham, Kent

Garden of England Champion – Top Fruit, sponsored by BTF PartnershipKent’s Tastiest Apple – Jazz variety – Grown by Simon Bray, Monks Farm, Nr Sittingbourne

Kent’s Tastiest Pear – Concorde variety – Grown by Clive and Richard Edmed, Hayle Farm, Horsmonden

Kent Beer of the Year, sponsored by Eurostar InternationalWinner: Pale Ale Mary by Northdown Brewery, Margate

Garden of England Champion – Soft fruit and Cherries, sponsored by Kent County Agricultural Society

Kent’s Tastiest Cherry – Van variety grown by AC Hulme & sons, Hoaden, near Canterbury
Kent’s Tastiest Strawberry – Katrina variety grown by B R Brooks & Son, Goodnestone, Faversham
Kent’s Tastiest Raspberry – Tulameen variety grown by J Myatt & Co, Rochester
Kent’s Tastiest Blackberry – Victoria variety grown by Clock house Farm Ltd, Coxheath

Kent Cider or Perry of the Year, sponsored by Wilkins KennedyWinner: Curious Apple by Curious Brewing, Ashford

Kent Food Product classes, sponsored by Shepherd NeameAmbient class winner: Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil by Morghew Park Estate, Tenterden
Bakery and Confectionery class winner: Kentish Apple Sourdough by The Bakehouse at 124, Tonbridge
Dairy class winner: Kingcott Blue Cheese by Kingcott Dairy, Staplehurst
Prepared Food class winner: Celeriac and Apple Soup by The Speedy Snail, East Peckham
Specialist Alcoholic Drink class winner: Rosé Spritz by Maroude, Mereworth
Specialist Non-Alcoholic Drink class winner: Pineapple & Kiwi Edible Tea by Nims Fruit Products, Sittingbourne

Ambient class Highly Commended: Beef Dripping by North Downs Real Food, Lenham
Bakery and Confectionery class Highly Commended: Huffkin, Speciality Breads, Margate

Kent Farm Diversification of the Year Award, sponsored by South East FarmerWinner: Lower Ladysden Farm, Goudhurst

Kent Wine of the Year, sponsored by NFU MutualWinner: Sparkling Rosé by Woodchurch Vineyard, Ashford

Kent Local Food Retailer of the Year, sponsored by OpiesWinner: Flint and Oak, Westerham

Kent Restaurant of the Year – sponsored by Thomson Snell & Passmore
Winner: The Small Holding, Kilndown

Kent Butcher Shop of the Year – sponsored by Furley PageWinner: Hammond’s Butchers, Matfield

Kent Food Business of the Year – sponsored by Gullands SolicitorsWinner: Karimix, Selling

Kent Tastiest Juice of the Year, sponsored by AC Goatham & SonWinner: Red Love Apple Juice, Biddenden Vineyards 

Kent Dining Pub or Bistro of the Year – sponsored by University of KentWinner: The Butcher’s Block, Burham

Kent Coffee Shop or Tea Room of the Year – sponsored by Barretts of CanterburyWinner: Café Nucleus, Rochester

Kent Countryside Award – sponsored by Kent Downs AONB and High Weald AONBWinner: Watts Farm, Farningham

Highly Commended: Provenance Potatoes, Deal

Excellence Award for Customer Service: sponsored by insight6Winner: The Food Shed at Spadework, Offham

Kent Food Product of the Year: sponsored by HSBCWinner: Kingcott Blue, Kingcott Dairy, Staplehurst

Floortje Hoette, Chief Executive at Produced in Kent comments: ‘These awards celebrate the very best in their sector each year and tonight we celebrated all those businesses from Kent chosen by the public and judged by a team of experts, to find the winner for each category. All the finalists tonight are winners, and deserve our congratulation for making it here.”

The Taste of Kent Awards is now in its sixteenth year and it is recognised as the outstanding annual showcase of Kent food and drink. The awards promote a wide range of categories and are open to all food and drink businesses across Kent.  The campaign begins each year with these soft fruit winners and continues with the commencement of public voting between September and early January before concluding with the gala dinner in March when winners are announced.