Velvet Food & Drink Awards 2025

Velvet Food & Drink Awards 2025

Since launching three years ago, the Velvet Food & Drink Awards have proved so popular, we’re doubling their size for 2025 - running two sets of awards, one each for Cambridgeshire and Suffolk. Time to nominate your foodie favourites from across both counties

When we launched the Velvet Food & Drink Awards three years ago, to give much-deserved recognition to both the businesses and individuals that make our area a more delicious place, we knew they’d be popular. But with nominations coming in by the thousand, from right across our circulation area, they exceeded even our expectations.

As a result, we have decided to double the size of the awards this year: running in tandem, there will be one set of awards for Cambridgeshire and one for Suffolk. This expansion has been made possible with the support of our headline sponsors: TR Global Events in Cambridgeshire and Thomas Ridley Foodservice in Suffolk.

As ever, we’re calling on you, our readers, to nominate your favourites across 12 categories in each county: Food Producer, Beverage Producer, Farm Shop/Deli, Pub/Bar, Tearoom/Coffee Shop, Street Food/Pop-up, Restaurant, Chef, Hotel, Hospitality Hero, Sustainability Hero and Food Hero.

The three businesses or individuals with the most nominations per category will then be shortlisted and the winners chosen by a panel of independent, industry-expert judges.

Suffolk’s winners will be announced at a ceremony at Stowmarket’s Haughley Park on June 9, with coverage following in July’s Velvet, while Cambridgeshire’s awards ceremony will take place at Childerley Hall on June 23, with coverage in August’s magazine.

Nominating is easy: hit either ‘Cambridgeshire’ or ‘Suffolk’ below and fill in the swift nomination form, telling us what makes your favourite/s stand out from the culinary crowd. You’ve got between 1am on January 28 2025 and midnight on May 2 2025 to get your nominations in.

So whether you’ve got a soft spot for a particular bakery’s bread, swear the coffee in your local cafe can’t be beaten or book every special–occasion meal at a specific restaurant, we want to hear from you! These awards are YOUR awards, so get nominating. . .