Great Food Club Awards 2020/21 – The Winners

The Champions


Fine-Dining Restaurant of the Year – full details & pictures
Alchemilla, Nottingham
Last year’s winner: The Hammer & Pincers, Wymeswold, Leics
2018/19 winner: John’s House, Mountsorrel, Leics


Casual-Dining Restaurant of the Year – full details & pictures
Hitchen’s Barn, Oakham, Rutland
Last year’s winner: House of Feasts, Eye Green, Peterborough, Cambs


Dining Pub of the Year full details & pictures
The Stag & Hounds, Burrough on the Hill, Leicestershire
Last year’s winner: The Wheatsheaf, Greetham, Rutland
2018/19 winner: The Olive Branch, Clipsham


World Cuisine Restaurant of the Year full details & pictures
Kushi-ya, Nottingham
Last year’s winner: Sanctua, Oadby, Leics


Classic Pub of the Year full details & pictures
The Marquis of Granby, Granby, Nottinghamshire
Last year’s winner: The Black Horse, Aylestone, Leics


Café of the Year – full details & pictures
All Mine Cakes by the Lake, Maythorne near Southwell, Nottinghamshire
Last year’s winner: The Larder, Oakham, Rutland
2018/19 winner: Kavanagh’s, Oakham


Food Shop of the Year – full details & pictures
Welbeck Farm Shop, Welbeck, Nottinghamshire
Last year’s winner: The Melton Cheeseboard, Melton Mowbray, Leics
2018/19 winner: Christopher James Deli, Leicester


Deli of the Year – full details & pictures
Thrussington’s Village Shop, Thrussington, Leicestershire
Last year’s winner: The Melton Cheeseboard, Melton Mowbray, Leics
2018/19 winner: Christopher James Deli, Leicester


Food Producer of the Year full details & pictures
Manor Farm Yogurt, Thrussington, Leicestershire
Last year’s winner: Elms Farm, Costock, Leics
2018/19 winner: Redhill Farm Free Range Pork, Gainsborough, Lincs


Drink Producer of the Year – full details & pictures
Braybrooke Beer Co., Braybrooke, Market Harborough, Northamptonshire
Last year’s winner: Round Corner Brewing, Melton Mowbray, Leics
2018/19 winner: Wharf Distillery, Potterspury, Northants


Farm Shop of the Year – full details & pictures
Tori & Ben’s Farm Shop, Kings Newton, Derbyshire
Last year’s winner: Farndon Fields Farm Shop, Market Harborough, Leics
2018/19 winner: Harker’s Farm Shop, Clipston-on-the-Wolds, Notts


Bakery of the Year 
The Bakehouse, Nottingham – full details & pictures
Last year’s winners: Small Food Bakery, Nottingham (best sourdough) & Hambleton Bakery, Rutland (best cakes)
2018/19 winner: The Garage Bakehouse, Market Harborough


Butcher of the Year – full details & pictures
Best High-Street Butcher: Robin Maycocks, Holloway, Derbyshire
Best Catering Butcher: Owen Taylors, Alfreton, Derbyshire
Last year’s winners: The Snobby Butcher, Nottingham (high-street butcher) & Price & Fretwell (catering butcher)


Private Chef of the Year (new category) – full details & pictures
Craig Floate, Nottingham


Street Food Producer of the Year (new category) – full details & pictures
Smoqued, Swadlincote, Derbyshire


Food Hero of the Year (new category) – full details & pictures
March House Farm Shop, Great Dalby, Leicestershire
Last year’s winner: Pratik Master at Wigston News & Deli in Leicestershire


Important information

The judging process
Our judges visited every shortlisted business where it was possible and deemed necessary. They ate – anonymously where possible – at all the pubs, cafés and restaurants.


How the shortlist was compiled
We asked our members and readers to nominate “one independent food/drink business that has brought you most joy over the past 12 months”. Over 6,000 online votes were cast between July 1 and July 31, 2020. The top four vote winners in each category made the shortlist. Multiple votes from individuals were discarded. You can see all shortlisted businesses at the ‘full details’ links under each category above.


Ineligible businesses
Businesses that won GFC awards last year were not eligible to be shortlisted this year. Our aim is to showcase a broad range of independents and by not allowing a single business to win an award two years in a row, we go some way to achieving this aim.

Click here to see the 2019/20 winners.

The author:

Matt lives in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. He is passionate about the independent food & drink sector and founded Great Food Club in 2010 after being inspired by local producers near his home town.