MEET OUR SPONSORS
Sponsoring the awards provides businesses with the perfect opportunity to raise the profile of their organisation.
Our Headline Sponsor - Café Nucleus
A collection of four unique cafe restaurants in four surprising locations in Chatham, Rochester and Rainham. Serving brunch, lunch, afternoon tea, fine wines, Champagnes, gins and fine dining every Friday and Saturday evening. Located amongst the palm trees in the heart of Chatham High Street, you’ll find the Café Nucleus at the Nucleus Arts Centre. In Military Road Chatham, you’ll find the Café Nucleus Lounge. It's the perfect place to sit back, relax and unwind with a coffee and a cake. Café Nucleus Rochester is set in one of the town's grandest buildings, from the high ceilings to the wooden paneling – it’s reminiscent of a lost time. The all new Café Nucleus Rainham, is open now at the Langton Studios.
Category Sponsors
Shepherd Neame
Shepherd Neame has been based in the market town of Faversham, Kent for over 300 years. Perhaps best known for great British classic ales such as Spitfire Amber Ale, which carries the Royal Warrant, its diverse portfolio includes Spitfire Lager, Bear Island East Coast Pale Ale, the Whitstable Bay Collection, Hurlimann and Noughty Bear 0.5% IPA. It has also brewed premium Thai lager Singha under license for the UK market since 2022. The independent family business boasts an award-winning visitor centre and more than 300 pubs and hotels throughout London and the South East, from the historic heart of the City to the Kent coastline.
Orida Hotel Maidstone
Situated in the Garden of England, ORIDA Hotel Maidstone & Holiday Inn Maidstone Sevenoaks are perfect destinations for families and couples to take in countryside scenery at Leeds Castle, Hever Castle, Mote Park and Brands Hatch. With onsite restaurants, bars, health clubs plus conference and events facilities all under one roof, it's the complete package!
NFU Mutual Ashford, Tenterden & Whitfield
NFU Mutual Ashford, Tenterden & Whitfield is proud to offer specialist insurance packages for the food and beverage sector, regularly visiting local producers and suppliers of all shapes and sizes. The food and drink sector is going through exciting changes, but, of course, from concept to consumption there are inevitably challenges and unexpected issues. As an agency, it fully appreciates the issues businesses have to deal with. Over the years it has established close relationships with food and drink businesses, be they a small family bakery or a large national manufacturer.
kff
kff is Kent’s leading regional foodservice wholesaler, providing businesses across the area with a comprehensive range of top quality fresh, frozen and ambient products. Based in Aylesford for over 60 years and with 4,000 customers, a significant percentage of its range is sourced from the region’s best food and drink companies, allowing it to serve the best the Garden of England can offer. Backed by Sysco, the world’s largest foodservice wholesaler, it is continually investing in operations, infrastructure and sustainability, putting its customers at the heart of everything it does and delivering great service across education, hotels, restaurants, pubs and cafés.
East Kent Colleges Group
East Kent Colleges Group is the leading provider of technical and vocational education in East Kent, giving opportunities to more than 14,000 students. Building on the success of its six colleges, the group offers learning from nursery age through to Higher Education. With colleges in Ashford, Broadstairs, Canterbury, Dover, Folkestone and Sheppey, as well as an adult training unit, an award-winning hotel and a multi-academy trust, East Kent Colleges Group is a major educational institution serving the whole of East Kent.
Lumina Energy
Lumina Energy, has been illuminating the path for businesses since 2012. With a decade of expertise, it simplifies the complex world of energy contracts for small to medium-sized enterprises across the UK. Wholly owned by Kent County Council, Lumina is more than a broker; it's a dedicated partner, offering stress-free energy solutions. From dedicated account managers to unbiased transparency, Lumina is committed to saving businesses time, money, and energy. Lumina Energy helps businesses create a brighter, more efficient energy future.
Gullands Solicitors
Gullands Solicitors has offices in Maidstone and Gravesend and provides a comprehensive range of legal services to businesses, individuals, families, and charities. With a long history in the county, it offers city expertise with provincial fee structures, so clients can access the best legal services and advice tailored to their needs, at an affordable price. It works with a range of farmers, growers and food and drink businesses here in the South East and is proud to sponsor the Kent & Medway Food & Drink Awards.
Rochester Bridge Trust
A substantial part of the income that allows the Rochester Bridge Trust to provide its crossings of the River Medway at no cost to the public comes from its agricultural property estate. Many of the agricultural properties are in Kent and include fruit farms, orchards, vineyards, arable land and grazing, where the Trust encourages tenants to follow best practice in land management, farm diversification and environmental improvement. The Rochester Bridge Trust, which has achieved net zero carbon management of its bridges and other activities, recognises that farm shops and delicatessens provide an opportunity to ‘buy local’, reducing food miles and cutting carbon emissions.
Jumeira Group
Jumeira Group owns three Indian restaurants and takeaways in Cranbrook, Staplehurst and Wadhurst, offering the finest Indian flavours, to reignite tastebuds. There's also the award-winning Bleu Steakhouse in Staplehurst. Jumeira's aim is to always offer the best culinary experience Kent. It is looking forward to expanding its number of restaurants through 2024.
Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey & Sussex
We’re your local air ambulance charity. We hope you never need us, but every year thousands of people do. And if you do, we’ll be there to fight for your life. Our helicopters are flying emergency rooms. When there’s a life-or-death call, we bring specialised doctors, paramedics and treatment to the scene, fast. And we don’t stop. 24/7, 365 days a year. But without you, we can’t get off the ground. Your support gets our lifesaving team to where they’re urgently needed. Without you, we can’t keep flying. Without you, we can’t save lives.
Ashford Borough Council / Love Ashford
Ashford Borough Council is a local authority which provides services to residents in Ashford, Tenterden and a large network of surrounding villages. Love Ashford is their guide to Ashford Town Centre, and is the one place where you can find out about the shops, offers, events and news going on in the town. It is also a platform for marketing and a support network for the town centre businesses. The council’s Festivals and Events Framework organises a series of events in the town centre, and is supported by Love Ashford. This year they will be bringing back their Ashford Food and Drink Festival which will be taking place in July 2024. With a keen desire to support hospitality businesses and the upcoming Ashford Food and Drink Festival also in mind, Ashford Borough Council and Love Ashford thought the Hospitality Champion Award seemed like a perfect fit and they are proud to support the KM Group’s first Food and Drink Awards. You can find out more about Ashford Town Centre by visiting loveashford.com.
Clive Emson Auctioneers
Clive Emson Auctioneers are the leading regional specialist land and property auction service across the South. Providing a high-quality auctioneering facility for everyone - private buyers and sellers, investors and hundreds of Estate Agents. With offices in Kent, Essex, Hampshire, Sussex and the West Country our professional team have excellent local knowledge and are well placed to guide and advise; whether you are looking to sell or buy. Our sterling reputation attracts tens of thousands of interested visitors at each of the eight auctions we hold every year with funds in place ready to exchange on the day.
