2008 Awards Winners have been announcedThe Guild of Food Writers Awards the BestOn Thursday 12 June at Tamesa, London the Guild of Food Writers announced the winners of their much coveted Annual Awards. Prue Leith OBE presented the Awards on behalf of the Guild, to some of the industry’s finest writers and broadcasters. Amongst the 11 winners there were some familiar names and some new ones to add to the roll of honour. Leading the way was Sarah Raven, whose Garden Cookbook won Cookery Book of the Year. Applauded by the judges for addressing the current issues of provenance and food miles, this first cookery book by gardening writer, Raven, had the jurors wanting to eat off every page.  The Jeremy Round Award for the Best First Book was awarded to Marwood Yeatman for The Last Food of England. The judges commented ‘as a wordsmith himself, Jeremy would have read this book with curiosity, some envy and admiration for its ambitious scope. This is food social history in a class of its own.’ The much sought-after Derek Cooper Award for Campaigning and Investigative Food Writing was awarded to Hattie Ellis. She tackled the controversial subject of poultry production in the compelling and exhaustively researched Planet Chicken, a book that has clearly brought about a change in the way we buy and treat chickens, influencing later TV campaigns on the subject.  Guild chair, Gilli Cliff, commented on the evening: ‘These awards provide an important opportunity to highlight the valuable role of the Guild in promoting excellence in food writing and broadcasting. The range of topics and issues covered by the entries was extensive and the quality high. My congratulations to all winners, and thanks to all those who entered – it is vital to the future of British food writing that the Guild continues to set the standard.’  Summary of winners: Food Book of the Year Winner: Martin Jones, Feast: Why Humans Share Food (Oxford University Press) The other shortlistees were: Lori de Mori and Jason Lowe, Beaneaters and Bread Soup (Quadrille Publishing) Dennis Cotter, Wild Garlic, Gooseberries and Me (Collins) Paul Freedman, Food: the History of Taste (Thames & Hudson)  Cookery Book of the Year Winner: Sarah Raven, Sarah Raven’s Garden Cookbook (Bloomsbury Publishing) The other shortlistees were: Richard Bertinet, Crust (Kyle Cathie Limited) Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Nick Fisher, The River Cottage Fish Book ( Bloomsbury Publishing) The Michael Smith Award for Work on British Food Winner: Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Nick Fisher, The River Cottage Fish Book (Bloomsbury Publishing) The other shortlistee was: The Food Programme: Food and Farming Awards (BBC Radio 4)  The Derek Cooper Award for Campaigning and Investigative Food Writing Winner: Hattie Ellis, Planet Chicken (Hodder & Stoughton) The other shortlistees were: Ben and Charlotte Hollins, The Fight for Fordhall Farm (Hodder & Stoughton) The Food Programme: Two items on Sustainable Fishing (BBC Radio 4) The Miriam Polunin Award for Work on Healthy Eating Winner: Jill Dupleix, Lighten Up (Quadrille) The other shortlistee was: Antony Worrall Thompson, The Diabetes Weight Loss Diet (Kyle Cathie)  The Jeremy Round Award for the Best First Book Winner: Marwood Yeatman, The Last Food of England (Ebury Press) The other shortlistees were: Claire Clark, Indulge (Absolute Press) John Wright, Mushrooms (Bloomsbury ) The Evelyn Rose Award for Cookery Journalist of the Year Winner: Shona Crawford Poole, for work in Country Living magazine The other shortlistees were: Alex Mackay, Cook with Confidence articles in Sainsbury’s Magazine Diana Henry, for work in Stella magazine  Restaurant Reviewer of the Year Winner: Tracey MacLeod, reviews in The Independent magazine  Food Journalist of the Year Winner: Bee Wilson, for work in Stella magazine The other shortlistee was: Caroline Stacey, Body and Soul/i] articles published in The Times  The New Media Award Winner: www.bbc.co.uk/food/ The other shortlistees were: www.Timeout.com/london/restaurants/ British Library Food Stories www.bl.uk/foodstories  Food Broadcast Award Winner: The Food Programme: China Tea (BBC Radio 4) The other shortlistees were: Local Food Heroes (UKTV Food) The Food Programme: Casino Food (BBC Radio 4)  Lifetime Achievement Award Katie Stewart  CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS OF THIS YEAR'S GUILD OF FOOD WRITERS AWARDS PARTY CLICK HERE FOR MORE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THIS YEAR'S GUILD OF FOOD WRITERS AWARDS PARTY |
2008 AwardsThis year, in addition to the existing eight awards, three new categories have been added for New Media, Restaurant Reviewer and Broadcast Programme. The full list of categories is:The Derek Cooper Award for Campaigning and Investigative Food Writing This award honours the Guild’s first president, the writer and broadcaster Derek Cooper. It highlights the increasing importance of the food writer in the field of food policy. This can include informing and educating the public about agricultural and manufacturing processes, or campaigning to raise standards in the food supply chain. It is a multimedia category, open to works for radio and television as well as print, and to works by single authors or by organisations. The Michael Smith Award for Work on British Food Michael was a great supporter of British foods and food traditions, and this award was established in his memory. It goes to the writer or broadcaster who has contributed most to promoting British food, in whatever medium; the work may be specialised or wide-ranging, text-led or recipe-led. The Miriam Polunin Award for Work on Healthy Eating Miriam Polunin was a much-loved and respected member of the Guild, serving two terms on its committee, most recently as Treasurer, who died in tragic circumstances in 2005. As she was one of the first food writers to succeed in communicating complex issues of nutrition to the general public and in conveying the idea that healthy food could also be delicious, the Guild has this year instituted this award in her honour. It goes to the writer or broadcaster who has contributed most to promoting healthy food, in whatever medium; the work may be specialised or wide-ranging, text-led or recipe-led. The Jeremy Round Award for Best First Book Jeremy was a brilliant, original writer and journalist, and author of The Independent Cook. This award, which commemorates him, is given to a writer of any age or level of experience, provided that this is his or her first cookery book or book about food. Food Book of the Year This may be biographical, historical, topographical; a guidebook, encyclopædia or compendium, even a technical handbook. Recipes, if they form part of the work, should serve to illuminate the text, rather than lead it. Cookery Book of the Year Recipes and, if appropriate, the practicalities of cooking should be the main focus. The subject may be any cuisine, historical period, specific ingredient or diet. Restaurant Reviewer of the Year The skill of an independent restaurant reviewer is to present their opinions in a readable, reliable and responsible way. Entries for this new award will be judged on the basis of five published reviews which may be from the same or different publications. Food Journalist of the Year This award is given to the writer of the best food-related articles published in a magazine, newspaper or newspaper supplement. Five pieces should be submitted; they may contain recipes, but recipes should not form the bulk of the text. Note that a comparable quantity of material from a website or websites may also be nominated for this award, provided that the author has been commissioned and paid for the work and it is not self-published. If website material is nominated, the nominator should supply jurors with the relevant web addresses of the specific articles. The Evelyn Rose Award for Cookery Journalist of the Year This award was renamed in honour of Evelyn Rose, a former chair of the Guild, who produced a weekly cookery column for over 40 years and was famed for her meticulous recipe-writing. The award goes to the writer of the best recipe-led articles, columns or pages published in a magazine, newspaper or newspaper supplement or on the internet. Five such features should be submitted. Material from a website or websites may only be nominated if the author has been commissioned and paid for the work and it is not self-published. If website material is nominated, the nominator should supply jurors with the relevant web addresses of the specific articles. New Media Award This new award has been created in response to the significant and growing role food blogs and websites play in food education, information and culture. Entries will be accepted from both individual and corporate sites and will be judged on the basis of five nominated postings and overall quality, originality, design and clarity of information. Food Broadcast Programme of the Year This new award aims to recognise excellence in a television or radio programme that has been broadcast about food. Nominations should be for a single entire television or radio programme. Podcasts and internet TV are currently not included in this award. Special Awards In addition to the eleven awards described, the Guild Committee may at its discretion make one or more Special Awards. To nominate someone for a special award, write to the . |