Meet the Great Food Club Awards 2026/7 winners from the East Midlands and Hertfordshire, see the finalist lists and find out how the awards were decided.
East Midlands Winners 2026/7
Congratulations to this year’s East Midlands champions. Each card links to the full award story, including our judges’ reasons for choosing the winners.
Restaurant of the Year
John’s House
Mountsorrel, Leicestershire
Pub of the Year
The Five Bells
Claypole, Lincolnshire
Food Producer of the Year
The English Olive Co
Lincolnshire
Drink Producer of the Year
Two Chimps Coffee
Oakham, Rutland
Shop of the Year
North’s Deli
Rothley, Leicestershire
Café of the Year
Lil Bo’s Deli
Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire
Bakery of the Year
Breadmill Bakery
Nottingham
People’s Choice Award
The Manor House, Quorn
&
White Horse, Lincoln
Joint winners after both received exactly 145 valid public nominations.
Hertfordshire Winners 2026/7
Congratulations to this year’s Hertfordshire champions. Use the links below to visit each winner’s Great Food Club page.
People’s Choice Award
Per Tutti
St Albans, Radlett, Berkhamsted & Harpenden
Best Restaurant
The Silver Cup
Harpenden
Best Pub
The Boot at Sarratt
Sarratt
Best Café
Batch Fifty Two
Baldock
Best Bakery
Micro Bakery
Much Hadham
Best Deli
The Fleetville Larder
St Albans
Best Food Shop
Webb’s of Hitchin
Hitchin
Best Producer
Bailey Hills Estates
Bishop’s Stortford
How the Great Food Club Awards work
Almost 3,000 nominations were submitted by Great Food Club members and readers for the 2026/7 Awards.
Public nominations create the finals
Our members and readers nominated the independent food and drink businesses they wanted to see recognised.
- Duplicate nominations were removed.
- The strongest public vote-getters formed the category finals.
- Businesses that won a Great Food Club Award the previous year were not shortlisted again, helping us recognise a broader range of independents.
Our judges choose the category winners
Once the finalists were confirmed, Great Food Club judges visited and assessed the businesses before choosing the winners.
The finalists were judged on the things that matter within their category, including food or drink, service, skill, consistency, value, atmosphere, sourcing, originality and the overall experience.
One award works differently
People’s Choice is decided entirely by the public. There is no judging visit and our judges have no say in the result. In the East Midlands, The Manor House in Quorn and White Horse in Lincoln finished level on exactly 145 valid nominations each. In Hertfordshire, Per Tutti received more nominations than any other Hertfordshire business.
East Midlands Finalists 2026/7
These were the businesses that reached the final in each of our seven East Midlands publicly nominated and independently judged categories.
Restaurant of the Year finalists
- The Noel’s Arms, Melton Mowbray
- Skein, Nottingham
- John’s House, Mountsorrel – Winner
- San Pietro, Scunthorpe
Food Producer of the Year finalists
- The English Olive Co, Lincolnshire – Winner
- Driver’s Pickles, Leicester
- Urban Dairy, Daventry
- Redhill Farm Free Range Pork, Lincolnshire
Shop of the Year finalists
- Marsh Green Farm Shop, Kelstedge
- Essen General Store, Beeston
- North’s Deli, Rothley – Winner
- Origin Farm Shop, Rushton
Bakery of the Year finalists
- Coosh Micro Bakery, Nottingham
- Baines Bakery, Uppingham
- The Tiny Bakery, Leicester
- Breadmill Bakery, Nottingham – Winner
Pub of the Year finalists
- Boot & Shoe, Flintham
- Five Bells, Claypole – Winner
- White Hart, Ufford
- Plough Inn, Hickling
Drink Producer of the Year finalists
- Two Chimps Coffee, Oakham – Winner
- Grainstore Brewery, Oakham
- Northern Tea Merchants, Chesterfield
- Baker’s Dozen Brewing Co, Ketton
Café of the Year finalists
- The Café @ Welland Park, Market Harborough
- Kilo Wine Bar, Quorn
- Lil Bo’s Deli, Ashby de la Zouch – Winner
- No.8 Delicatessen, West Bridgford
Special Award
People’s Choice Award
The Manor House, Quorn & White Horse, Lincoln
Joint winners with 145 valid nominations each.
Hertfordshire Finalists 2026/7
These were the businesses that reached the final in each of our seven Hertfordshire award categories.
Restaurant of the Year finalists
- Craft & Cleaver, St Albans
- The Tilbury, Datchworth
- The Silver Cup, Harpenden – Winner
- Fox and Hounds, Barley
Café of the Year finalists
- Hatch, St Albans
- Helg, Stevenage
- Batch Fifty Two, Baldock – Winner
- Nonna’s Supper Club, Tring
Deli of the Year finalists
- French & Day Delicatessen, Ware
- Piero’s Deli, Hoddesdon
- The Fleetville Larder, St Albans – Winner
- My Muki Sushi Deli, Potters Bar
Producer of the Year finalists
- Sustain Coffee Co, Old Hatfield
- Beyond Belief Brewing, Borehamwood
- Dawlicious, Hertford Heath
- Bailey Hills Estates, Bishop’s Stortford – Winner
Pub of the Year finalists
- Hermit of Redcoats, Titmore Green
- The Plough, Sleapshyde
- The Boot at Sarratt, Sarratt – Winner
- Two Brewers, Northaw
Bakery of the Year finalists
- Flourish Craft Bakery, Watford
- Thirteen Artisan Bakery, Hertford
- Micro Bakery, Much Hadham – Winner
- Knead and Desire Bakehouse, Hitchin
Food and Drink Shop of the Year finalists
- Potter Street Fishmongers, Bishop’s Stortford
- Trussell’s of Knebworth, Knebworth
- Webb’s of Hitchin, Hitchin – Winner
- Cellar Door Wines, St Albans
Congratulations to every Great Food Club Awards 2026/7 winner and finalist – and thank you to everyone who nominated their favourite independents.
