Now in its 4th Year, the awards continue to grow from strength to strength to recognise and reward the very best of food, drink and hospitality establishments in the Midlands and help bring the spotlight to this booming and essential industry.
A huge thanks to everyone that made an effort to nominate their favourites. We have been inundated with so many fantastic nominations for this year’s Midlands Food Drinks & Hospitality Awards in association with Pepsi Max.
Those shortlisted have shown incredible and outstanding services to the food, drink and hospitality industry, whether they be individuals or restaurants, bars, hotels and other establishments.
It has been incredibly difficult to choose the finalists, but we got there in the end, good luck to the finalists.
Voting will open on 6th May 19 for the Midlands Food Drinks & Hospitality Awards 2019. You can place your vote online at https://www.mfdhawards.co.uk/vote-now.
The winners will be announced at a glittering awards ceremony at the Aston Villa Stadium – Holte Suite on 24th June 2019.
Good luck to all those taking part!
FINALISTS
Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year
Cheal’s of Henley – Henley-in-Arden
Green Cow Kitchens – Worcester
Morley Hayes (Dovecote Restaurant) – Derby
No.9 Church Street – Stratford-upon-Avon
Old Downton Lodge – Ludlow
Opheem – Birmingham
Tailors Restaurant – Warwick
The Boat Inn – Lichfield
Turmeric Gold – Coventry
Gastro Pub of the Year
Railway Lowdham – Nottingham
The Broom Tavern – Alcester
The King’s Arms – Solihull
The Oakley Arms – Stafford
The Red Lion Hunningham – Warwickshire
South Asian Restaurant of the Year
Anoki – Derby
Asha’s – Birmingham
Five Rivers A La Carte – Walsall
Indigo – Wolverhampton
Kayal Restaurant – Nottingham
Lasan – Birmingham
Lilu – Leicester
Memsaab – Nottingham
The Indian Streatery – Birmingham
Umami Indian Kitchen – Birmingham
Oriental Restaurant of the Year
Chung Ying Cantonese – Birmingham
Chung Ying Central – Birmingham
Sushido – Sutton Coldfield
Wing Wah – Birmingham
WokChi Oriental Kitchen – Harborne
Zen Metro – Birmingham
Steak House of the Year
Anderson’s Bar & Grill – Birmingham
Black Iron at Winstanley House – Leicester
Fiesta Del Asado – Birmingham
Gaucho – Birmingham
The Belfry Steakhouse – Derby
Italian Restaurant of the Year
Cucina Rustica – Birmingham
I Due Vulcani – Hinckley
Laghi’s Deli – Birmingham
Pasta Di Piazza – Birmingham
San Carlo Fumo – Birmingham
Hispanic Restaurant of the Year
Bar Iberico – Nottingham
Bodega Cantina – Birmingham
Don Diego – Birmingham
El Borracho de Oro – Birmingham
Los Banditos – Sutton Coldfield
Selminas – Coventry
Vegetarian & Vegan Restaurant of the Year
1847 – Birmingham
BA-HA – Birmingham
No.12 Houndsgate – Nottingham
Surti by Chef D – Walsall
The Natural Bar & Kitchen – Birmingham
Casual Dining Establishment of the Year
Bear – Derby
Buffalo & Rye – Birmingham
Dough and Brew – Warwick
Graze in Bridgnorth – Bridgnorth
Grill It – Wolverhampton
Hide Burger – Derby
James Café Bistro – Leicester
The Butlers Arms – Sutton Coldfield
The Canal House – Birmingham
The Lansdowne Pub – Leicester
Desi Bar & Grill of the Year
Paddy’s Matern Inn – Leicester
The Chestnut Tree – Derby
The Covered Wagon – Birmingham
The Keg & Grill – Birmingham
The New Soho Tavern – Birmingham
Dessert Parlour of the Year
Caffe Chino – Birmingham
Gelato Village – Leicester
Haute Dolci – Leicester
Pirlo’s Dessert Lounge – Birmingham
The Pudding Pantry – Nottingham
People’s Choice Award
Baked in Brick – Birmingham
Chung Ying Cantonese – Birmingham
Fiesta Del Asado – Birmingham
Laghi’s Deli – Birmingham
Mellows Bar & Restaurant – Birmingham
Peacock Inn (Kings Norton) – Birmingham
Punchbowl (Lapworth) – Solihull
Surti by Chef D – The Real Indian Rasoi – Walsall
The Indian Streatery – Birmingham
The Red Lion (Hunnigham) – Warwickshire
Venue Design of the Year
Aluna – Birmingham
Opheem – Birmingham
Sky by the Water – Birmingham
Tattu – Birmingham
The Oyster Club – Birmingham
Chef of the Year
Leo Kattou (Simpsons) – Birmingham
Liam Dillon (The Boat Inn) – Lichfield
Mandeep Bajwa (Umami) – Birmingham
Matthew Cheal (Cheal’s of Henley) – Henley-in-Arden
Mike Bullard (The Butchers Social) – Henley-in-Arden
Paul Foster (Salt) – Stratford-upon-Avon
Yuezong Xie (Wing Wah) – Birmingham
Bar/Restaurant Manager of the Year
Joe Macbeth (Calluna) – Nottingham
Raphael Carton (The Edgbaston) – Birmingham
Simone Ditadi (Sapore) – Birmingham
Tommy Matthews (The Edgbaston) – Birmingham
Zsofia Kisgergely (Little Blackwood) – Birmingham
Rising Star of the Year
Daniele Vignali (Sky by the Water) – Birmingham
Katie Rouse (Crushed & Cubed) – Birmingham
Tommy Matthews (The Edgbaston) – Birmingham
Wayne Handley (Bun Club) – Worcester
Street Food Vendor of the Year
Baked in Brick – Birmingham
Buddha Belly – Birmingham
Dick’s Smokehouse – Bromsgrove
Grill Brazil – Dudley
Press de Cuba – Shrewsbury
Urban Cheesecake – Birmingham
Food/Drink Festival/Operator of the Year
Bustler Street Food Market – Derby
Canteen – East Midlands
Colmore BID – Birmingham
Digbeth Dining Club – Birmingham
Food Gusto – Leicester
Lichfield Food Festival – Lichfield
Ludlow Food Festival – Ludlow
Nottingham Street Food Club – Nottingham
Shrewsbury Food Festival – Shrewsbury
The Birmingham Whisky Club – Birmingham
Food/Drink Blogger of the Year
Bite Your Brum
Eat with Ellen
Midlands Gourmet Girl
The Extreme Housewife
Tofu Tasha
Best Insta of the Year
Birmingham Eats
Brumlicious
MK Eats
The Fat Foodie UK
The Hangry Blonde
Cocktail Bar of the Year
Aluna – Birmingham
Manhattan 34 – Leicester
Rowley’s Gin Bar – Derby
The Edgbaston – Birmingham
The Vanguard – Birmingham
Traditional Pub of the Year
The Anchor Inn – Kidderminster
The Dolphin Inn – Shrewsbury
The Lych Gate Tavern – Wolverhampton
The Old Crown – Digbeth, Birmingham
The Old Dispensary Real Ale Bar – Oldbury
Sommelier of the Year
Abigail Connolly – Arch 13 Bar
Sonal Clare – Purnell’s
Stefan Liperowski – Hotel Du Vin
Hotel Bar of the Year
1565 Restaurant & Bar (Park Regis) – Birmingham
Chez Mal Bar (Malmaison) – Birmingham
The Bubble Lounge (HDV) – Birmingham
The Edgbaston – Birmingham
The World Bar – Birmingham
Drinks Merchant/Tasting House of the Year
Connolly’s Wine – Solihull
Loki Wines – Birmingham
Stirchley Wines & Spirits – Birmingham
The Birmingham Whisky Club – Birmingham
The Drinks Emporium – Birmingham
Afternoon Tea Establishment of the Year
Charlies’ at the Old Mill Tearooms – Shropshire
Laura Ashley The Tea Room – Solihull
The Edgbaston – Birmingham
Three Church Road – Birmingham
White Rabbit Teahouse – Nottingham
Independent Coffee Shop of the Year
200 Degrees Coffee Shop – Birmingham
Damascena – Birmingham
Hackwood Farm – Derby
Melbourne in Lichfield – Lichfield
Stables Tea Room – Shropshire
Brewery/Distillery of the Year
Burning Barn Rum – Solihull
Cotswolds Distillery – Stourton
Fifth Spire – Lichfield
Joules Brewery – Market Drayton
Twisted Barrel Ale – Coventry
Hotel of the Year
Coombe Abbey – Coventry
Genting Hotel – Birmingham
Hyatt Regency – Birmingham
Malmaison – Birmingham
The Mount Hotel Country Manor – Wolverhampton
Boutique Hotel of the Year
Hampton Manor – Hampton-in-Arden
Hotel Du Vin – Stratford upon Avon
The Edgbaston – Birmingham
The Walton Tarry Boutique Hotel – Nottingham
Winstanley House – Leicester
General Manager of the Year
Berni Rushfirth (The Rectory + 180 Club) – Birmingham
Domnic Norhunha (Asha’s) – Birmingham
Jayne O’Malley (The Edgbaston) – Birmingham
Matthew Loughrey (The Genting Hotel) – Birmingham
Neil Wyatt (The Mount Hotel Country Manor) – Wolverhampton
Venue of the Year
Aston Villa Holte Suite – Birmingham
Coombe Abbey – Coventry
Dallas Burston Polo Club – Warwick
Millennium Point – Birmingham
Ricoh Arena – Coventry
