The Young British Foodies have been in touch, asking us to spread the word in the north about the 2014 YBF awards. What are they, I hear you ask?
The YBF awards were launched three years ago by food writer Chloe Scott-Moncrieff, Amy Thorne of TastePR and baker and founder of Lily Vanilli, Lily Jones.
Last year’s winners of YBF food writing award with judge Yotam Ottolenghi
The idea was to search for and celebrate the best food and drink producers in the UK, or as they put it, ‘the nation’s best and brightest butchers, bakers and cocktail makers, as well as food writers and entrepreneurs… whether they’re rustling up coffee from a cart, curing meat or putting vegetables centre stage, the Young British Foodies are defining a new culture of food and drink in Britain.’
Despite the name, you don’t have to be young in years, you can, they say, be 19 or 90, just young as in not established.
There are nine categories covering alcohol, street food, experiential, baking, meat, chefs, food writing and coffee (plus an honorary award). The judges are an impressive, high powered bunch and include the cutting edge chef Nuno Mendes, judging chefs, the cool Aussi barista Tim Williams and Marco Arrigo, of Illy coffee judging coffee, Lily Vanilli will be looking for the best baking with fellow judge Daniel Stevens from River Cottage. Marina O’Loughlin, restaurant critic for the Guardian, heads the food writing judges with fellow judges Fay Maschler, Yotam Ottolenghi and Tracey McLeod. You see, top quality stuff.
They are looking for more entries from Yorkshire and the north and we can think of some fabulous chefs, baristas, butchers that really should have a go. So stop what you’re doing right now and write down 500 words about why you love food and drink, your experience and history. You can enter online here www.the-ybfs.com. When you’re done you can keep up to date by following them on Twitter @TheYBFs. That’s all. Easy.