Restaurant Awards 2014

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P R O U D T H E

S P O N S O R S

O F

O X F O R D S H I R E

R E S T A U R A N T

A W A R D S

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Contents

Contents 4 Highlights from last year 5 A Warm Welcome from Alain Desenclos 6 A Warm Welcome from the organisers 7 The Committee THE NOMINEES 14

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8 • Asian 9 • Brasserie / Gastro Pub 10 • Gastronomic Restaurant 11 • Traditional Pub 12 • Express / Deli / Café 14 How the Menu was chosen 15 This year's Awards Trophies 16 Alina Kozlovskaja 18 Oxford Wine Company 20 Passion for Food 22 Riche de Fleurs 24 Awards Sponsors

Thank you to:

Tonight’s Awards

Sponsors: A&J Catering, Amberley Court, B4 Magazine, Beanbags, Blueprint Imaging, Buzzworks, Clark Howes, City Audio Visual, City of Oxford College, Isis Creative Framing, Laurent Perrier, Living in Oxford Magazine, NSF, Osbornes Insurances, Oxford Event Hire, Oxford Wine Company, Passion for Food, Riche de Fleurs, Roots of Oxford, TERA, The Oxford Bar Company, Vouch, Wellers.

• Best Traditional Pub • Best Gastronomic Restaurant • Best Express / Deli / Cafe • City of Oxford College Trainee Award • Best Brasserie and Gastro Pub

Suppliers: Cereta Drewett Photography, Studio X1, TMB.

• Best Asian

Committee: Alain Desenclos, Daren Bowyer, David Gambier, Emma Gascoigne, Helen Brind, Jacquie Bugeja, John Hobart, Kevin Dudley, Mark Ritchie, Mark Taylor, Martin & Nicola Keown, Rebecca Kashti, Sarah Wiseman.

• Best Producer Award

The In Oxford Group Staff: Sue Rosser, Colin Rosser, Lorna Dodson, Rob Scotcher, Keith Simpson, Daria Montella, Gabrielle Sadones, Edward Rosser and Susannah Weber.

• Best Service Award

Guest Presenters: Martin Keown, Sally Dicketts CBE, Councillor Bob Price and Ian Francis.

Timetable

All Restaurants: All restaurants who entered the Awards.

And also thanks to the following: Mark Taylor and all businesses who have donated raffle prizes for tonight.

• Best Supplier Award • The Living in Oxford Editor’s Choice Award • Public Vote • The Award for Excellence • The 2014 Oxfordshire Restaurant of the Year

6:00pm Champagne Reception 7:10pm Call to dinner

A Big THANK YOU to City of Oxford College: A massive thank you to the students from City of Oxford College who have helped with everything from website design to front and back of house and everything in between. Key staff involved in project: Catering - Darren Blanks, Thomas Clavier, Peter Brattan, Ruth Daykin, Aaron Neville; Front of House - Vanessa Field; Security – Matt Stansfield. Thank you also to the following senior staff: Sally Dicketts, Ian Francis, Richard Peirson. Special thanks to Helen Brind for her hard work and support.

7:20pm Welcome 7:30pm Dinner starts 9:30pm Awards Ceremony 10:55pm Winners Photograph

Finally a MASSIVE thank you to Tina Rosser of TERA who has worked tirelessly on all aspects of the Awards and without whom this definitely wouldn’t have happened.

11:00pm Close

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Last year

Highlights from last year

The Oxfordshire Restaurant Awards 2013

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Welcome

A Warm Welcome

from Alain Desenclos - Committee Chairman

“It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the 4th annual Oxfordshire Restaurant Awards.”

“Since I was approached to head up the Awards Committee

Thank you also to our guest presenters and the fabulous

three years ago, I have been delighted with the way the

students from City of Oxford College, some of whom are

Awards have established themselves and impressed at the

experiencing their first live event this evening. If the tasting

way Oxfordshire restaurants have embraced the Awards.

event was anything to go by, I am sure they will all rise to the occasion and gain invaluable experience as they work

“I know how much hard work goes on behind the scenes

towards a successful career in hospitality.

in a restaurant so can fully appreciate the hard work that has gone into organising these Awards. As soon as the

“Please support every winner tonight, but, more importantly,

restaurants have entered, a huge chain reaction of events

continue to support Oxfordshire restaurants. Together we

takes place. From the reviewers visiting each restaurant, to

can continue to raise the profile of Oxfordshire restaurants

the committee deciding on the short lists, from the sponsors

and ensure we maintain the excellent variety and high

pledging their support to getting the tickets sold. There’s

standards throughout the county.

then all of the literature to design, choosing the menu and the right wines, sourcing the suppliers, planning the

“Good luck to everyone tonight!”

canapés, getting the staff to the venue and that’s before the ovens have been turned on to cook over 300 meals!

“We really must take our hats off to the committe, the restaurants who entered, all of the sponsors and suppliers, the staff working here tonight and to Tina and the team at The In Oxford Group for once again putting on a stunning event.

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Alain Desenclos Committee Chairman

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Welcome

A Warm Welcome from the organisers

Preparation for The Awards this year

also to Ian Francis (Principal) and

have been an absolute pleasure.

Sally Dicketts (Chief Executive) who

Not only have we managed to secure

throughout.

have been wonderfully supportive an excellent group of loyal sponsors

RICHARD ROSSER

CHIEF EXECUTIVE, IOG

who have been with us since year

Thank you also to the suppliers, guest

one, but we have also formed a

presenters, the general public for

rewarding relationship with City of

voting in the Public Awards vote, all of

Oxford College who have embraced

you in attendance tonight and the

the challenge of everything from

restaurants who have entered.

designing the Awards website, putting on an excellent Tasting Evening to

And finally, special thanks to Tina. I’m

making their mark this evening, both

not quite sure how she does what she

front of house and in the kitchen. You

does but the amount of hours she

have all been stars, lead by Helen

puts in co-ordinating this event are

Brind who has worked incredibly hard

phenomenal. Thank you.

alongside Tina from TERA. Thanks This year has been a different

I hope you enjoy your evening and

challenge for me but it has been

please don’t hesitate to let me know

wonderful to work with Helen Brind

what you think about the colour

and her fantastic staff from City of

scheme….I hope you like it!

Oxford College.

Have a lovely evening and if you Thank you also to our wonderful and

would like help with your next event,

loyal sponsors who never fail to step

please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

up to the mark. Thank you also to the

I’d love to help you.

team at the Town Hall and James at

TINA ROSSER

EVENT ORGANISER

CAV for putting together such a great

Enjoy yourself.

set.

Mark Taylor: Your Master of Ceremonies for this evening’s event Mark read Law at Lincoln College, Oxford. He trained at Freshfields in the City where he obtained experience in the full spectrum of Commercial Law before qualifying in 1980. He is now a partner at Darbys Solicitors LLP. Mark is an avid Oxford Utd fan and has been on the Awards Committee since the event was launched four years ago.

Tony Verdin (1932 to 2014) At last year’s Awards, Tony Verdin of The Cherwell Boathouse was given an Outstanding Contribution Award. A family business since 1968, The Cherwell Boathouse was one of Oxford’s oldest restaurants, thriving on a philosophy of wanting to share a passion of good food and wine whilst retaining the character of The Boathouse for all to enjoy. Tony sadly passed away earlier this month and on behalf of The Oxfordshire Restaurant Awards, we pass on our sincere condolences to Johnny, Anne Marie and the rest of the family and staff at The Boathouse.

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Committee

HOW THE AWARDS WORK: Every restaurant, pub, café and fast food outlet in Oxfordshire has been invited to enter the Awards. Each establishment that has entered will have been visited by an independent reviewer who will not have revealed their identity until asking for the bill. Each reviewer will then submit their review to the committee who will decide on the nominations.

The Public Vote Award is, as the name implies, open to the general public, not restricted to Oxfordshire. Promoted by Living In Oxford Magazine the public vote last year attracted over 10,000 votes from all over the UK and even further afield. The winner is simply the establishment with the most votes, with duplicate votes taken out. The winner of The Oxfordshire Restaurant of the

ALAIN DESENCLOS COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN

Year will be decided on by the committee taking into account a number of key factors and will not necessarily be a category winner. It could be a restaurant which has performed well in the review and secured a healthy number of public votes.

OUR RESTAURANT AWARDS COMMITEE 2014

MARK TAYLOR

JACQUIE BUGEJA

KEVIN DUDLEY

DAREN BOWYER

DAVID GAMBIER

MARK RITCHE

EMMA GASCOIGNE

REBECCA KASHTI

SARAH WISEMAN

MARTIN KEOWN

PARTNER AT DARBYS SOLICITORS LLP OXFORD OFFICE

OWNER & MD OF GREAT EXPERIENCE TRAVEL

OWNER OF WISEMAN GALLERY

HEAD OF REGISTRATIONS AT OXFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

PUBLISHER

EX ARSENAL AND ENGLAND AND BBC FOOTBALL ANALYST

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EXECUTIVE CHEF AT PEMBROKE COLLEGE

COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER AT CHILTERN RAILWAYS

JOHN HOBART

COMMERCIAL AND OPERATIONS DIRECTOR AT MODERN ART OXFORD

DIRECTOR AT THE SANDHURST TRUST

HEAD OF DARBYS SOLICITORS LLP OXFORD OFFICE

HELEN BRIND

HEAD OF EXTERNAL DEVELOPMENT AND PARTNERSHIPS AT CITY OF OXFORD COLLEGE

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Nominees

Asian

Nominees

4500 Miles from Delhi, Oxford We wanted to create a place that is relaxing and comfortable, but also wanted to inject some of the hustle and bustle of everyday life of Delhi. With the open plan ‘theatre’ kitchen which brings a little bit of Delhi to Oxford.

Gurkha Village, Oxford The Gurkha Village Nepalese Restaurant is renowned throughout the Oxford area for its divine style and presentation of traditional Nepalese cuisine, this is achieved by paying special attention to every fine detail.

Indian Pantry, Banbury Whether it's a mid-morning light bite, lunch or evening meal that you are looking for, all of our food is nutritiously complete, yet diverse in taste, flavour and presentation.

Malikas, Oxford Malikas in the heart of Cowley Road offers a unique Indian food dining experience. The restaurant presents constantly evolving menus and a carefully matched wine list - all designed to reflect an ethos of novelty and creativity.

The One Fusion Restaurant & Bar, Oxford Welcome to The One, this stylish and modern restaurant blends a variety of different Asian and English cuisines into an extensive and delectable menu. Featuring Chinese, Thai, and Japanese tastes.

The Snooty Mehmaan, Faringdon With an emphasis on refined yet creative Indian cuisine, the menu incorporates both traditional classic favourites and original new dishes that apply classic flavours with a modern twist.

The Tree Hotel, Iffley The Annora restaurant, a charming pub restaurant with specialist European and Indian head chefs, championing wonderful food from around the world using the freshest ingredients.

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Nominees

Brasserie / Gastro Pub Nominees

1855, Oxford We are open from dawn to dusk, serving eclectic and exceptional wines, carefully matched seasonal produce and fantastic wood roasted coffees. At 1855, taste is everything.

The Blue Boar, Longworth Dating from 1606, the Blue Boar is a traditional English village pub, situated in a quiet lane just off the village square in the picturesque village of Longworth, Oxfordshire.

The Chequers at Burcot Since 2006, multi award winning chef Steven Sanderson has been delighting his customers with a beautiful selection of delicious dishes that offer traditional values with a modern twist.

The Fleece, Witney Loyally supported by the people of Witney we are one of the few places in town where you can sit outside on sunny days, eating, drinking & watching the world go by.

The Kingham Plough, Kingham Since opening in 2007 we have followed our ethos and continue to source only the best local ingredients, both for the kitchen and bar. The Kingham Plough is everything that an exceptional English dining pub with rooms should be.

The Red Lion, Britwell Salome The kitchen team go that extra mile and work that extra hour to make everything from scratch. We are always developing new recipes and ideas. From the humble sausage to daily-baked bread, black pudding and ice creams.

The Restaurant at Witney Lakes Resort, Witney As West Oxfordshire's premier local restaurant we use the finest seasonal ingredients to produce outstanding contemporary British cuisine from our award winning kitchen.

The White Hart, Fyfield Where you can enjoy award-winning food, fine wines and local real ales, under the soaring eaves of a 15th Century Chantry House.

The White Horse, King's Sutton We are a friendly country pub at the heart of the village, offering the perfect pint and Great British pub classics freshly prepared with local ingredients.

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Nominees

Gastronomic Restaurant Nominees

Brookes Restaurant, Oxford As part of the Oxford School of Hospitality Management, our award-winning restaurant operates in a community of professionals dedicated to promoting excellence in food, wine and service.

Le Kesh, Oxford We have spent a lot of time and put a great deal of thought into the way Le Kesh looks. With its authentic feel with a modern twist, you can guarantee you will be comfortable here.

Shaun Dickens at the Boathouse, Henley-on-Thames Shaun Dickens at The Boathouse brings together fresh, modern British food, an unparalleled riverside setting, and an insistence on the very highest standards of service.

The Lamb Inn, Burford The finest ingredients, many produced locally, are used to create a cuisine that is contemporary English with strong traditional influences.

The Randolph Restaurant, Oxford Ours is one of the finest restaurants in Oxford, our Three AA Rosette winning fare is prepared by acclaimed chefs who use the highest quality, freshest ingredients available.

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Nominees

Traditional Pub Nominees

The Angel, Burford This 16th century coaching inn located in the picturesque market town known as 'The Gateway to The Cotswolds' gives the ideal location for a quick pint, a hearty high quality meal, or a welcoming break away.

The James Figg, Thame Thame is a lovely English market town with The James Figg at the heart of it. The English pub, with the tradition of drink, socialising and simple, satisfying, honest pub food.

The Killingworth Castle, Wootton by Woodstock A traditional 17th Century inn, offering mouthwatering magic from our award winning chefs, served day and night, and lovingly created with only the finest local ingredients. Roaring open fires and a very, very warm welcome to all.

The King and Queen, Longcot Local and regional cask conditioned ales, freshly prepared quality food and wines from our award winning supplier. A warm welcome is guaranteed for all in our beautifully refurbished village pub with spectacular views of White Horse Hill.

The Oxford Retreat, Oxford The Oxford Retreat is a bar and kitchen with warm eclectic furnishings, set on the river in Oxford. We serve delicious, fresh, and locally sourced produce every day. Come join us and see why we’re called “The Retreat”.

The Royal Oak, Oxford Much like our well-kept real ales, beers, wines and spirits, our interiors are drenched in class, character and a dash of urban cool, with lots of rooms and cosy little corners to kick back in. Just the place to enjoy a plate of good pub food.

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Nominees

Express / Deli / Café Nominees

Aston Pottery Country Café, Aston Each morning fresh batches of scones, cakes and biscuits are baked and placed on their own individual cake stands - a perfect compliment for a hot tea or coffee.

Burford Garden Company Café, Burford Every week, thousands of people pull up one of our chairs to enjoy one of our famous house-baked cakes, freshly prepared soups, our wholesome, colourful salads and contemporary hot dishes.

Café Aloha, Oxford Whether you’re looking to grab a quick coffee and a bite to eat or a sit down meal with family and friends in both a comfortable and inviting environment...Café Aloha is your first choice for great tasting food freshly made to order.

Hampers Food and Wine, Woodstock Our licensed 31-seat café is the perfect place to unwind and enjoy good food with friends, family or colleagues. Our menu provides a wide choice of both savoury foods and sweet treats.

Organic Deli Café & Restaurant, Oxford Artisan homemade creators of organic, vegan, gluten & dairy free breads, snacks, cakes, pastries & hot foods using locally sourced ingredients. Fairtrade organic coffee & looseleaf teas & a variety of cold organic drinks.

Reg's Café, Banbury Freshly ground coffee, sandwiches, jacket potatoes, salads, soups, homemade cakes, pastries and more, all to eat in or take away.

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Nominees

Dinner Parties – Networking Events – Awards Dinners

Contact Tera

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Article

How the menu was chosen Written by Helen Brind “Development of the menu for the fourth Oxfordshire Restaurant Awards began in the early part of 2014, when hospitality and catering students at City of Oxford College were presented with the brief to design the awards dinner.

Students devised a range of potential dishes, which were narrowed down in consultation with the college’s Chef Lecturing Team before going forward for a tasting event held at City of Oxford College in May. During the tasting event at the college’s Waterside Restaurant, students prepared and served each dish to a panel of 40 guests who were asked to provide feedback. Guests voted for their favourite dishes and the winning dishes are being cooked and served by City of Oxford College students tonight at the Oxfordshire Restaurant Awards.

This project has been a fantastic opportunity for students to respond to a live brief and prepare food for a prestigious, high profile event attended by leading industry figures.

“The process has supported the students’ learning by developing valuable culinary skills and methodology.”

All dishes have been balanced to complement each other whilst maintaining elements of local produce, seasonality and current cooking trends. The process has supported the students’ learning by developing valuable culinary skills and methodology.

Whilst you are enjoying your meal this evening please consider that the chef who created these dishes or the hospitality student who served you could be a future contender for the Oxfordshire Restaurant Awards.” www.cityofoxford.ac.uk

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Article

This year’s Awards Trophies

Designed and crafted by the students at NSF Since 2011, when the first Oxfordshire Restaurant Awards took place, The National School of Furniture have kindly provided us with some incredible trophies from a select few of their brightest students. This year is no different with the NSOF stepping up again with their support for the awards.

I met with Chris Hyde, course tutor, who is always enthusiastic with the live brief and experience the awards provide the students. “The students have a firm grasp on the brief; to create a trophy that works off the

inspiring way restaurants in Oxfordshire present themselves, their food and their identity. It’s a fantastic opportunity for our guys to work on something a little different and to see their work celebrated in such a way”.

After a quick walk around the new development at City of Oxford College we head into the NSOF to meet with Andrew Fiedorowicz and Matt Estlea, two very highly motivated, friendly guys that have a real skill to show off.

The woodwork studio was a hive of activity with students busy working on

their class projects. The atmosphere was electric with students in deep concentration.

As Andrew worked away getting the awards to perfection, Matt told us how he felt about the live project "Seeing these awards dotted around Oxfordshire will be pretty cool, it's a great opportunity and I’m looking forward to the awards night."

The trophies have come a long way from the original pencil sketches we first saw during the summer break in August. At first glance there is an

obvious push to follow the brief we had set out which was for the awards to be inspirational, innovative, sharp and clean. We’re sure that we speak for everybody involved with the awards that the students at NSOF have certainly outdone themselves.

With thanks to Andrew, Matt, Chris Hyde, Helen Brind and Sally Dicketts at City of Oxford College www.nationalschooloffurniture.com

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Article

Alina Kozlovskaja

Providing tonight’s music entertainment “When you first meet Alina and she shares her original compositions with you, it really is an unforgettable experience.” Writes Phil Strachan of Strangebrew.

“I was immediately struck by how each composition was just so hauntingly atmospheric and so breathtakingly beautiful. I felt that Alina’s music was far too special for her exquisite talents, as both a composer and a pianist, not to be shared with a much wider audience. That’s precisely why I introduced her to Tina at TERA as I thought that the Restaurant Awards event would be fittingly enhanced by both her presence and by her musical capabilities.”

Alina, how did it all start? You have now been in the UK for 10 years – but were you playing piano back home in Lithuania?

“I have always been interested in music. As a small child, I used to sing a lot and I was continually bringing home songs from school that mum and dad didn't even know. However, from when I was very little, I remember being fascinated by pianos and when I was just five, my parents bought me my first piano. I had this most amazing feeling of joy and excitement and so I started taking piano lessons.

Soon I got into a music school but because the piano class was so full, they offered me the opportunity to study violin as a major. A violin! Who were they kidding? It had to be a piano and nothing else would do - full stop! Fortunately, with quite a lot of persistence and just a little bit of luck, I was eventually enrolled in the piano class.”

How easy did you find it to stick with the programme of lessons?

“Sometimes, I was pretty bored playing annoying scales and difficult recitals and just wanted to quit and join my friends who were having fun outside on lovely summer days. But despite the many temptations, I somehow stuck to it. You’ve got to go through the hard and boring bit in the beginning until you reach the level when you really enjoy it. Not quitting 16

has really paid off and I believe that being patient and persevering has shaped me into a strong character.”

Tell me a little more about your passion for music – and the piano in particular.

I always wanted to learn to play the piano. The sound of it and the idea of being able to create something of real beauty always captivated and moved me. I loved being creative and realised that music offered so many possibilities in terms of different sounds and chords to play with. I found it hard to concentrate at school but music became a means to escape, something close to my heart, somewhere I could lose myself in by playing something beautiful and emotional. It was such a great way for me to express my true emotions and listening to and playing music really has helped me through some very difficult times.

What was the reaction when people first heard your own compositions?

It was incredible. They were very emotional and the main reaction was that they could not believe I had written them. They believed that I was playing music that had been written by established composers. Inevitably, there were some initial elements of constructive criticism which I took on board. It is a constant learning process. Instantly, quite a few people started comparing my music with Ludovico Einaudi. I had never heard of him at that time but he quickly became my inspiration because I recognised that our music was on the same wavelength. It was very humbling to be compared with such a great composer and pianist.

Incredibly, in the summer of 2013, I had the pleasure and privilege of meeting him backstage when he performed at the Barbican.

To hear examples of Alina playing her own original piano compositions, please visit her Youtube channel: www.youtube.com/alinakmusic email: alinakmusic@gmail.com Follow us at @inoxfordawards and don’t forget to mention #restawards14

AWARDS 2015

Living in Oxford Magazine, our great monthly publication, has been Oxfordshire’s leading What’s On guide for the past 14 years.

We’re also held in high regard by a number of the county’s leading organisations. With a fantastic track record of delivering a quality publication every month and a client base including leading attractions such as Blenheim Palace and Oxford Castle, leading hotels such as The Randolph Hotel and Malmaison, leading entertainment from a wide range of organisations and an endless list of leading restaurants, But that’s just the start...

We have now launched our very own Living in Oxford Awards which will be decided by you the readers of Living in Oxford Magazine and the general public.

Visit inoxford.com for details on how to vote for your favourite business and how to add your business to the awards.

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Article

The Oxford Wine Company Supplier of wines for the awards

Winner of ‘Best Wholesaler of the

industry’s top benchmark qualification

one annual increase with prices

Year 2011, 2012 and 2013’ and

which is one level below Master of

maintained for 12 months and a next

‘Best Customer Service 2012’ in

Wine.

day delivery service.

Merchant Awards and 'Independent

The Oxford Wine Company stocks a

Sales representatives are matched to

Wine Retailer of the Year 2012' in

large range of around 1500 products

the premises and are not based on

the prestigious Drinks Retailing

that are not found on the High Street

geographical areas to get the best

Awards,

Wine

or in supermarkets (including a range

match

Company has shops in Oxford,

of specialist spirits) and being a

requirements.

the Harpers Wine & Spirit Top

The

Oxford

for

wholesale

customer’s

Cirencester, Tetbury and Standlake

local company is able to offer a

and also supplies a large range

highly flexible delivery service to all

of restaurants, pubs and hotels

customers, both retail and wholesale.

customer The Oxford Wine Company

mainly in the Oxfordshire and

The wholesale side of the company

delivers top quality service across the

Gloucestershire areas.

offers services such as customer’s

board with great value for money

wine lists printed in house, no

wines at all price points. The company

Whether you are a retail or wholesale

The company has a large number

minimum order for deliveries and

also holds many tasting events

of highly trained staff including

delivery times to suit individual

and dinners held in and around

head wine buyer Marcia Waters,

customers.

Oxford and also at our trade accounts premises for their own customers.

Master of Wine (the industry’s highest staff

A core range of wines for the trade are

currently sitting this extremely difficult

maintained year round to minimize

exam. As well as this 5 of the

disruption to the on trade’s wine lists

company’s staff hold the Wine and

and price increases for the core

Spirit Education Trust Diploma, the

trade range of wines are limited to

qualification)

18

with

2

other

www.oxfordwine.co.uk

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Welcome

PROUD TO SPONSOR TONIGHT’S WINE FOR THE OXFORDSHIRE RESTAURANT AWARDS

UK Retail Wine Merchant of the year 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 Winner

Winner

H(]H

Winner Top Merchant Best Customer Service

Top Merchant Best Wholesaler of the Year

www.oxfordwine.co.uk 01865 301144 Witney - Oxford - Cirencester - Tetbury

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19

Article

Passion for Food Fabulous Event Catering Philip Baker, Managing Director of Passion for Food, started in the catering industry at an early age and developed a real passion and enthusiasm for fantastic flavours, ingredients and new cooking methods.

He was fortunate to be taken to many of the top restaurants in London and the Home Counties, such as The Canteen, The Greenhouse, The Waterside at Bray, Le Manoir aux Quatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Saisons and met some of the chefs who ran these establishments, who gave him some good advice. He was inspired by tasting the top quality food they served and was determined that one day he would be serving food to the same high standards.

This lead to a natural progression to run his own company and he has now been in the catering industry for over twenty years, still passionate about food which is reflected in the company name, Passion for Food!

At Passion for Food we specialise in providing fabulous event catering for weddings, corporate events, Christmas parties and private dinners.

We offer a simple, uncomplicated approach where everything revolves around the client, from talking through menus at the initial planning stages through to the 'wow, that was incredible' finale.

Based in Westcott, Buckinghamshire, we offer our services across the Home Counties and London. We have experience in catering for events at private homes, marquees and stunning venues, including The Dairy at Waddesdon Manor, Kirtlington Park, Rhodes House, the Bodleian Library, Wrest Park and many corporate premises. We provide highquality food and offer a first-class 20

professional and friendly service. We can also advise on other important elements such as marquees, florists and chair hire as we have great working relationships with our preferred suppliers.

Over the years we have learned that if you deliver exquisite dishes beautifully prepared, served by people who really care - customers remember you and come back for more. From this we have built up an impressive list of loyal and repeat clients, most of whom have come to us by word of mouth.

We never forget that every event is different. But, whether it's a corporate occasion, a private party, a wedding reception or a birthday - we never forget that it's your event. We can provide a bespoke, personalised service. We sit down with you, we chat about your requirements, we talk about how much you want to spend, we talk about venues and we talk about menus. We then set about doing what we're best at - providing you with delicious food that ensures your occasion is a memorable one.

Contact Details Managing Director: Philip Baker Email: philip@passion-for-food.co.uk Telephone: 0845 606 8885 Address: Unit 7 a/b Upper Barn Farm, Bicester Road, Westcott, Buckinghamshire, HP18 0JX Website: www.passion-for-food.co.uk Facebook:facebook.com/pages/ Passion-for-food/254359987932998 Twitter: twitter.com/passionffood LinkedIn: Philip Baker

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Welcome

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Article

Riche de Fleurs

Supplying flowers for the awards From humble beginnings in 2002, Riche de Fleurs has gained an enviable reputation as one of premier florists Oxfordshire’s providing stunning flowers for all occasions.

Over the years the business has grown significantly which has allowed us to operate from a large industrial workshop in Abingdon. It is here that we create beautiful handmade arrangements and bouquets made with flowers sourced directly from the Dutch flower markets and also from local growers, ready for delivery throughout Oxfordshire and beyond.

Riche de Fleurs are a unique team of highly creative florists with a distinctive decorative style, creating both modern and vintage arrangements with Riche flair. With extensive experience gained from years of designing for a diverse range of occasions and venues, our skilled team led by Amy Green offer a bespoke floral design service for all events from small and intimate occasions to the very largest weddings and functions.

A large part of our work is providing weekly contract vase arrangements and flowers to a growing number of

restaurants, hotels and local businesses. From large hotel lobby centrepieces to smaller reception desk arrangements and restaurant table flowers, we can help to provide a welcoming and visually appealing environment for customers and staff.

Our weekly plant rental and maintenance service is increasingly popular, as more offices look for greener ways of enhancing what would have been a dull office space.

Our floral installations have been seen at some of Oxfordshire’s prestigious venues such as Blenheim Palace, Eynsham Hall, Heythrop Park and further afield at The Royal Opera House and The Royal Albert Hall. We have also been lucky enough to have made and delivered our beautiful

floral gift bouquets to prestigious clients such as The Duchess of Marlborough, TV personality Susie Dent and not forgetting our very own Prime Minister David Cameron. Our work has also been featured in local and national publications such as The Oxford Times, Wedding Ideas Magazine and Wedding Flowers magazine, the UK's number one selling bridal flowers magazine.

Riche de Fleurs continue to grow their business, with a new flower school offering classes showing you how to make a perfect hand tied bouquet, party centrepieces and Christmas wreaths for the festive season. These classes make an ideal gift or corporate team event. We also offer a new wholesale flower service to DIY brides who wish to create their own flower arrangements for their wedding.

Beautiful fresh flowers promote feelings of happiness and pleasure.

They enhance the home and working environment and above all are guaranteed to simply bring a smile to someone’s face.

Please contact a friendly member of our team today to discuss your floral requirements on 01235 530888 or order online at richeflowers.com

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Welcome

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Sponsors

Awards Sponsors

Thank you for your support City of Oxford College / Activate Learning City of Oxford College is spread across two campuses in the county’s capital – itself world-renowned as a centre of excellence for teaching and learning.

A £6m redevelopment of the campus is now open. The development maximises the campus’ riverside setting, providing new outdoor exhibition and cafe space and a new river boardwalk. www.cityofoxford.ac.uk

Roots of Oxford Roots of Oxford is a wholesale offering working with local businesses, colleges, pubs, restaurants in and around Oxford. We don’t want to get big - we just want to reach a little way out from our base to our local area and offer our customers a bespoke service....we’re not the stuffy, corporate type! www.rootsofoxford.com

Oxford Wine Company The Oxford Wine Company has also been named by The Telegraph as being one of the top 5 Independent Wine Merchants in the UK. The company has three retail outlets in Oxford, Witney and Tetbury and supplies wine to a huge collection of trade account customers in the restaurant, hotel and pub trade. www.oxfordwine.co.uk

Wellers Accountants At Wellers we are more than number crunchers: but then you're looking for more from your accountants. Whether you are a major business, a smaller enterprise or a private client we think that you'll find Wellers a breath of fresh air. www.wellersaccountants.co.uk

Osbornes Insurance Osbornes has been giving advice to businesses and high value homeowners for 40 years. The four senior executives have over 120 years business insurance experience between them. Although we deal with any business sector we have a strong presence and knowledge of Restaurants, Hotels, Construction and all kinds of property covers. www.osbornesins.com

Bean Bags Bean Bags Coffee is Oxfordshire's premier supplier of speciality coffees for coffee shops, cafes, hotels, restaurants, public houses and educational sites. We have a unique relationship with our coffee roasters, enabling us to supply a wide range of ethically-sourced, sustainably-produced coffees to suit our customers' individual needs. www.beanbagscoffee.co.uk 24

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Sponsors

Oxford Event Hire Oxford Event Hire was established in 2000 to provide catering equipment for a wealth of events. With a vast quantity of stock, we provide everything required for any function. Oxford Event Hire have developed a first class reputation for its products, service and reliability and pride themselves on customer service. www.oxfordeventhire.co.uk

Isis Creative Framing One of Oxford’s business success stories we continue to grow and diversify our product range. Heavy investment in new equipment has enabled us to offer volume output and fast turnarounds while maintaining our small company roots for personal, first-class service. www.isiscreative.co.uk

NSF The Rycotewood Furniture Centre has an international reputation as a centre of excellence in innovative furniture design and making. It is part of the National School of Furniture, a partnership with Bucks New University to offer furniture training from level 1 to level 8 (14 years to Doctorate). www.nationalschooloffurniture.com

Blueprint - Banner Sponsor Blueprint Imaging offers a comprehensive range of exhibition graphics, display services and photographic printing. Our full in-house facilities enable us to offer anything from desktop displays, to fully installed exhibitions. Based in Witney, our reliable and competitive service makes us first choice for all your exhibition, display and signage requirements. www.blueprintimaging.com

Riche de Fleurs Riche de Fleurs are one of Oxfordshire’s leading online florists providing contemporary, stunning flowers in Oxfordshire. We specialise in wedding flowers, corporate event flowers, and flowers contracts delivering to a number of small to large businesses across Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds. www.richeflowers.com

Passion for Food It’s a simple, uncomplicated approach; where everything revolves around you, the client… from talking through menus at the initial planning stages through to the ‘wow, that was incredible’ finale. All you need to do is kick-back, relax and enjoy our high-quality food and first-class professional and friendly service. www.passion-for-food.co.uk

A&J Catering A&J Catering provide food catering services for corporate hospitality and private functions. If you have a business lunch, a wedding or event that needs catering, please call us on 01865 24 33 33. www.ajcatering.co.uk

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Sponsors

Amberley Court Amberley Court Associates Ltd is a passionate design and print company dedicated to the art of print in all forms and formats. We are dedicated to enhancing all graphic design in print form. Our passion with ink on paper, distinctive materials and specialist finishes is what enables us to produce the optimum printed product for our clients’ brands.

Vouch Vouch offer fantastic discounts across Oxfordshire. We sell great vouchers for restaurants, hotels, gyms, health & beauty treatments, shops etc...Log on to www.vouchoffers.co.uk for great deals and while you are there, sign up for our great newsletter and be kept up to date with all the best offers! www.vouchoffers.co.uk

CAV Oxford’s leading specialists in audio visual hire, sales, installation and live event support. From Projector hire and AV Support to installation of a bespoke audio visual presentation system, we pride ourselves in offering a quality driven professional service with a personal touch. www.cityav.co.uk

Laurent Perrier Fired by a passion for champagne, a respect for traditional values and, most importantly, for people, Bernard de Nonancourt inspired Laurent-Perrier with his independent spirit and creative audacity. He established privileged working relationships with the grape growers and cleverly combined innovation and tradition. www.laurent-perrier.com/en/

The Buzzworks The buzzworks is the 2009 rebranding of sjs publicity, a small publicity and communications consultancy managed by Sarah Airey and based in Woodstock, Oxfordshire. www.thebuzzworks.co.uk

The Oxford Bar Company The Oxford Bar Company supply mobile bars for any type of event and any venue. Our bars are fully installed, and are manned by our professional, experienced and friendly bar team. We offer a large range of products, including a range of draught bitters and lagers, spirits, wines, bottled beers, and soft drinks. www.theoxfordbarcompany.co.uk

TERA Events TERA, owned and managed by Tina Rosser, runs The Oxfordshire Restaurant Awards and has done so since their inception in 2011. All aspects of the event are co-ordinated by TERA, from location & supplier sourcing, venue styling, coordination with all key contacts and guest management. To find out more about how TERA can help you, contact Tina on 07887 638120. www.teraevents.co.uk 26

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Welcome

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Sponsors

Living in Oxford Magazine In Oxford is a one stop shop for all that is great about Oxford. The latest listings for Theatre and Music events, plus the very best Restaurants, Bars and Hotel Listings. Always be up to date with Living In Oxford. ww.inoxford.com

Clark Howes At Clark Howes, we focus on working closely with business owners and entrepreneurs, providing the expertise you need for successful business growth.

Tony Sarin, Head of our specialist Hospitality team, brings with him over 25 years’ experience in the hospitality industry and looks after a wide portfolio of clients in the restaurants and hotels sector. www.clarkhowes.com

Cereta Drewett Cereta Drewett Photography offers professional images for your business publications, website, events and corporate images. I would be delighted to discuss your individual requirements and ideas in order that I can provide a custom made solution that will also suit your budget. www.ceretadrewettphotography.co.uk

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Welcome

We have got everything you need including tables, chairs, crockery, cutlery, fridges, freezers, BBQs and hog roasters even chocolate fountains, popcorn and candy floss machines THE BEST NEWS IS THAT YOU will not have to wash up as oxford event hire offer a free dirty wash service as oxfordshireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading event and catering equipment hire company, oxford event hire have a first class reputation for their products, services and reliability and pride themselves on customer service

CALL Now: 01865 760158 www.oxfordeventhire.co.uk Follow us at @inoxfordawards and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget to mention #restawards14

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The IOG

vouchoffers.co.uk

b4-business.com

inoxford.com

The In Oxford Group publishes a range of printed magazines targeting Thames Valley businesses, residents and visitors.

We've got every angle covered.

Our websites deliver great content, rank highly on search engines and enable you to profile your business alongside other great Thames Valley businesses.

Over 500,000 copies of our publications are either printed or viewed online every year.

Thousands of social media followers across our range of publications enables us to market your business to a growing group of potential and existing customers.

We get our publications into every nook and cranny throughout the Thames Valley to make sure your business is in the right place to be seen by residents, visitors, students and other businesses.

BUSINESS AWARDS 2015

WHO’S WHO 2015 K E Y

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B U S I N E S S

C O N T A C T S

THEOXFORDMAP

OXFORDSHIRE VENUES 2015 C O N F E R E N C E | E V E N T S | P R I VAT E D I N I N G

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We hope you enjoyed tonight!

Looking forward to 2015 you can now register for The Oxfordshire Restaurant Awards 2015 sponsored by Hedges Law at www.oxfordshirerestaurantawards.com We look forward to working with our main sponsor in 2015