Manchester Food and Drink Festival awards - the pics

The Manchester Food and Drink Festival award winners were announced last night by The Hairy Bikers. The real names of this grey bouffant pair are Gandalf and Dumbledore. Or maybe, Si King and Dave Myers.

The two wizards (er...chefs, Ed) presided over a drunken carouse of lush toppling over as industry guests and would-be winners wined and whined (if they lost) at the Palace Hotel.

The venue did much better on the food front this year. The menu highlights of 2009 were the tender braised oxtail and the cinnamon cup with chocolate and brandy ice cream. The highlight of last year would have been illness causing lack of appetite.

Best moment came with the award of Outstanding Achievement. Handed out by Noddy Holder, guests wondered whether the veteran Slade singer would declare himself the winner and break into ‘Come on feel the noize’. Or declare that it was the Yule in a very loud voice.

Instead he brought the house down by doling out the gong to George Bergier, presently of Sam’s and Tom’s Chop Houses. George has been around a long time and first came to Manchester from Poland shortly after the Norman Conquest. He is the finest sommelier in the land and superb company. He is also a great mentor for young people coming into the food and drink trade. As a big Confidential fan and occasional ranter we love the guy.

Another highlight was when the third legendary wizard of the evening Saruman, aka Chris Johnson of Ramsons, announced the winner of the Coffee Bar/Casual Dining Award. He intended to say Folk Cafe Bar in West Didsbury but caused surprise with the sentence: “And the winner is....Fuck.” We’d thought he’d dropped the envelope. Then we realised red wine was getting in the way of enunciation.

This was the twelfth Manchester Food and Drink Festival. It was a good one too with new ideas such as a Wine Festival at Urbis, a Whisky Festival at MOSI, and an Oktoberfest in Albert Square. Not all the awards are what Confidential would have gone for but they were honestly arrived at so well done to the winners.

Even Confidential won. The editor, Jonathan Schofield, snaffling up a raffle prize. This could have been a pair of flight tickets to a Lufthansa destination of his choice, instead he won a meal for two at Sampans restaurant in the Crowne Plaza Airport hotel. Lucky lad. If he times his visit right he can watch the winners of the Lufthansa flight take off.

The Winners

Best Newcomer
Damson, Heaton Moor

Restaurant of the Year
The Modern, Manchester

Best Food and Drink Retail Outlet
Barbakan Delicatessen, Chorlton

Best Wine List
Gaucho Manchester

Best Coffee Bar/ Casual Dining
Folk Café Bar, West Didsbury

MFDF Award for Healthy and Sustainable Eating sponsored by Food Futures
Gabriel’s Kitchen, Manchester

Best Pub
Lass O’Gowrie, Manchester

Best Bar
Apotheca, Manchester

Restaurant of the Year
The Modern, Manchester

Chef of The Year
Ian Matfin, Abode Manchester

Outstanding Achievement Award
Georges Bergier, head sommelier at Sam’s and Tom’s Chophouses, Manchester

Professional Bartender Of The Year
Tom Lloyd, Obsidian

Manchester Young Chef Of The Year
Michael Tate, Harvey Nichols

Manchester Young Waiter Of The Year
Matthew Dutson, River Restaurant

Love Food Hate Waste Award Mason Arms, Atherton