You can now vote for your favourite shortlisted venue in each of the 7 categories of the Food and Drink Festival.
The categories you can vote for from across the whole district are:
Best Restaurant
Belvedere Restaurant (at Ardmore House), St Albans
Darcys, St Albans
Lussmanns, St Albans
Okka Cafe Brasserie, Harpenden
Veer Dhara, St Albans
Best Pub
The Holly Bush, Potters Crouch
The Plough, Tyttenhanger
The Six Bells, St Albans
The White Lion, St Albans
The Three Horseshoes, Harpenden
Best Bar
Bar 62 , St Albans
Mokoko, St Albans
Slug and Lettuce, St Albans
The Peahen, St Albans
The Snug Bar, St Albans
Best Café
Barrissimo, St Albans
Lily Lounge, Harpenden
Okka Cafe Brasserie, Harpenden
Secret Garden Café, St Albans
Soko Coffee, St Albans
Family Friendly
Inn on the Park, St Albans
Lussmanns, St Albans
Secret Garden Café, St Albans
The Blackberry Jack, St Albans
The Nectar House, Chiswell Green
Local Gem
Dixies Cupcakery, St Albans
Heaven is a Cupcake, St Albans
Sycamore Wholefoods, St Albans (market and Hatfield Road)
The Pudding Stop, St Albans
The Village Flapjack Co, Redbourn (and St Albans market)
Local Producer
Carpenters Nursery, Sandridge
Childwickbury Goats Cheese, Childwickbury
Earthworks, St Albans
Redbournbury Mill, Redbournbury
That Little Brewery, Harpenden
You can also nominate an individual person working within the food and drink industry for the Kate D’Arcy Award for Exceptional Customer Service. This award was created in memory of Kate D’Arcy, co-founder of Darcys Restaurant and is for someone who has exceeded normal expectations by providing outstanding service. To vote go to the website: http://www.allaboutstalbans.net/food_festival/kate-darcy-award.aspx
Voting for all categories including the Kate D’Arcy Award closes on Friday 30 September.
To vote go to the website: http://www.allaboutstalbans.com/directory/food-and-drink-festival-2011/3-44. From 15 September the shortlist for each category will be available online.
The winners will receive their awards at the special award ceremony to be held on Thursday 6 October at St Michael’s Manor Hotel in Fishpool Street, St Albans. Everyone is welcome to attend this prestigious event. The evening includes a welcome drink, delicious 3 course buffet and a raffle in aid of the Mayor, Cllr Aislinn Lee’s charities*. This event is sponsored by Flagship Wines, Mokoko and St Michael’s Manor Hotel. Tickets are £25 plus a booking fee and can be booked online: https://my.allaboutstalbans.net/book-tickets/St-Michaels-Manor/391/Festival-Celebration-and-Food-and-Drink-Awards.aspx.
This is the fourth year of the St Albans Food & Drink Festival, organised by St Albans City and District Council, which showcases the fantastic range of food, drink and produce available across the district. It starts on Wednesday 28 September with the famous St Albans Beer Festival organised by CAMRA* and ends with the al fresco Festival Finale in St Peter’s Street on Sunday 9 October.