Brighton & Hove Foodie Awards 2012

In it to win it

Voting is now well underway for the third Brighton and Hove Foodie Awards, a celebration of the best eating, and an award scheme that you, the public, really have a say in. You can log on, register and vote for your favourites in each category, and your votes really do count.

If you have a favourite food shop, food pub, restaurant or café then get busy and vote for it. If it’s already on there you can add your vote and if it’s not then you can nominate it – it’s as simple as that. And don’t just vote yourself, rally support and get your friends and family to join in.

If you run a business in any of the categories, have you made sure that you have been nominated? Have you asked your customers to vote for you? It’s not cheating; you have to be in it to win it so make sure that you’re in with a chance by being a nominated business.

Summer is truly a fabulous time for all things foodie! July was the month when hot dogs, ice cream and even the humble baked bean were celebrated nationally. Wednesday 25 July saw the start of National Salad Week closely followed by British Food Fortnight from Friday 27 July.

But will any of these events help the leaders in the Brighton & Hove Foodie Awards, and who is on the current leaderboard? Terre à Terre in East Street has held on to first place in the Best Restaurant category. Food for Friends in Prince Albert Street has regained second place and the Chilli Pickle is back on the leaderboard and into third place.

Leading the way in the Best Food Pub category is The Ginger Pig in Hove Street, the Basketmakers in Cheltenham Place has dropped back to third place and The Foragers in Stirling Place continues to battle for the lead from the number two spot. Never has a competition been so fiercely fought between local rivals, with fourth and fifth places rapidly closing in. Will it all change in the last two months of voting?
There’s no change in the Best Café category; last year’s winners Lydea in Kensington Gardens remain in first place, Moksha Caffe in York Place is still there in second and Mange Tout in Trafalgar Street maintains third place. But voting numbers for other city favourites are on the increase and it could be a very different picture next month!

For Best Food Shop, Infinity Food is in first place, Boho Gelato in Pool Valley is in second place and the Brighton Sausage Company in Gloucester Street holds onto third place.

“This is the third year we have run the Foodies and this year is quite unlike any other,” said Paula Seager, managing director of Natural PR, the Awards’ organisers. “It seems like the same names keep appearing but in fact fourth, fifth and even sixth places in each categories are so close to edging their way on to the leaderboard and able to spring some last minute surprises.

“With two months to go until voting closes, our leaders should not yet feel safe and those taking part who have not yet seen their name on the leaderboard should know that the outcome is far from resolved. So if your favourite has not yet appeared, get involved and have your say, it could make a very big difference to next month’s positions.”

I will be joining the lovely Andrea Fox on stage to host the awards ceremony which will take place in the Brighton and Hove Food & Drink Festival this September. This will be the third time that we have co-hosted this prestigious event and it always proves to be a fun night out, with Andrea and I vying for the brightest outfit and fighting our way to get a crumb of food after the finalists have laid waste to what is always a sumptuous buffet of foods representing all of their businesses.

Find out more and place your vote at www.brightonfoodawards.com – everyone has one vote per category.