Food 'n' Drink |

From sheep’s milk ice cream, gluten-free syrup sponge and free-from fusilli with amaranth to gluten-free fish fingers washed down with a gluten-free glass of beer, nearly 200 freefrom products have made it onto a very long ‘shortlist’ for the FreeFrom Food Awards 2010 – some indication of the spectacular growth seen in this sector of the food industry in recent years.

The FreeFrom Food Awards are the only industry awards that celebrate excellence in this field. Now in their third extremely successful year, the 2010 awards have attracted over 1,000 freefrom entries from every type of supplier from one man/woman bakers to multinational food manufacturers.

The awards were started by www.foodsmatter.com, a website dedicated to covering all aspects of freefrom food.

Says Michelle Berriedale-Johnson: “The response to the launch of the awards has just been fantastic and mirrors the expansion in the whole market. Whereas in year one (2008) we had maybe 30 entries for the bread or the cake section, in year two (2009) we had 60 – this year (2010) we have had over 100!”

The final judging to choose the winners of the 2010 awards will take place at the end of March.

For the full list see below or go to http://www.freefromfoodawards.co.uk/shortlist_10.html

Losing one Michelin star can horrifying for a restaurant, losing two can be a straight out disaster, but now the Goose located in the Oxfordshire town of Britwell Salome now has to face how to deal with losing three.

The staff at the former one Michelin star restaurant walked out after a dispute over the business’s direction taking the award status along with them.

At the moment, the restaurant is closed due to what their voice messages says is a set of ‘unforeseen circumstances.’  On the other hand, a notice hanging in the window of the stone building states that the restaurant is closed for refurbishment and will open its doors again under new management on March 16^th.

Chef Ryan Simpson walked out along with his staff last week after a debate with the owner, Paul Castle, who stated that he planned to change the format of the restaurant into a pub.

Simpson was forced to regain the Michelin star because the previous chef left stating there were financial difficulties.  In a statement yesterday Simpson stated that he did not like the way Castle planned to alter the business.

The Goose first won a Michelin star in 2005 but lost it after Chef Mike North moved to another restaurant.  It then once again received the Michelin star in 2008 with Chef Matthew Tomkinson but after only six months left because he felt the financial side of the business was in disarray.

Edinburgh’s Wedgwood has been named the best new UK restaurant outside of London by Hardens in its 2010 restaurant guide.

The winners were chosen after a survey that included around 8,000 diners. Hardens also reviews around 1,850 restaurants in all of Britain’s major cities before listing its top choices.

Wedgwood is run by Paul Wedgwood and is found in the Old Town of Edinburgh.  It received the Remy Martin VSOP over the restaurants of Turners in Birmingham, Sam’s in Brighton, The Fish House in Chilgrove, West Sussex, and Vatika in Southampton.

Co-editor of the guide, Peter Harden, said that it was only appropriate that Wedgwood received the award given that Edinburgh has become the best city in the UK for top end dining followed by London.  This is due to the fact that it offers a traditional dining experience that is of the top quality.

Also receiving notice from the dining guide was Ludlow’s Mr. Underhill, which was honoured with the Remy Martin XO Excellence Award for showing consistency and all round excellence for a long period of time.  Although the owners of Mr. Underhill retired last year they placed the restaurant on the market with the same name.

Runners up for the same award were Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire, Northcote in Langho, Lancashire, The Waterside Inn in Bray, and Gildleigh Park in Chagford, Devon.

Also praised in the guide was the mid market Italian chain run by Jamie Oliver as a great contribution to the world of dining.