Headline Sponsor
Sponsor of the Outstanding Contribution
After a hiatus due to Covid over the last two year, Warner’s is once again the headline sponsor at the Cotswold Food & Drink Awards.
Warner’s stores are independently owned by Guy Warner who has been working with local food and drink producers for over 15 years. During that time, Guy and his team have discovered some true Cotswold gems and are proud to stock produce from many of the nominees, finalists and winners in Warner’s stores in Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and Warwickshire.
Discovering local talent in food and drink has always been fundamental to the Warner’s brand – many local producers began their journey at Warner’s stores and have since grown to become award-winning household names in their own right.
Alongside an ever-increasing range of local produce, Warner’s also stocks all the usual supermarket essentials, offering customers flexibility and convenience in their shopping experience.
For more information about Warner’s stores and becoming a member of Warner’s Taste Club, visit www.warnerstasteclub.co.uk
Sponsor of the Outstanding Service
Established in the small Cotswold village of Little Barrington, near Burford, Barrington is a friendly, family-run company which specialises in traditional and high-end painting, decoration, period restoration, gilding and bespoke decorative finishes. We provide our services for residential and luxury commercial projects, including private residencies, estates and historical conservation work. Now based in Cheltenham and with our restoration workshop based in Winchcombe, we are perfectly situated to cover all of The Cotswolds, Gloucestershire and the surrounding areas.
At the heart of Barrington is a family run team with roots in the decorating and building industry dating back to 1967. Since then, we have grown through our reputation for exceptional craftsmanship, punctuality and responsiveness.
Today, Barrington operates as a friendly and focused small company of decorators, gilders, and restorers. With exceptional work ethics and a genuine passion for perfection in our work. Along the way we have attracted widespread recognition and accreditation for our high end, quality finishes and successful completion of many prestigious projects throughout Cheltenham, The Cotswolds and UK
Sponsors of Best Drinks Producer
Hazlewoods is a UK Top 30 independent Business Advisers and Chartered Accountants, with an established sector expertise.
We are proud to be part of the local business community; opening our doors over 100 years ago, our experts have been providing specialist accountancy, tax, audit and business advice to individuals and businesses of all shapes and sizes from start-ups through to corporates.
Our specialist food and drink team does everything from guiding small businesses through their first steps to helping international businesses manage their overseas operations.
Business plans, managing cash flow, achieving profits, sales, growth and benchmarking against competitors are just some of the areas our experts can provide a helping hand to make sure businesses in the food and drink industry are growing sustainably.
All businesses need to continuously improve and develop in order to grow and differentiate from the competition. The food and drink sector has been through a turbulent time and many businesses have found themselves innovating and adapting on a day-to-day basis. We are pleased to be sponsoring the award for ‘Best drinks producer’ this year and are excited to see the variety of entries in a diverse market, particularly as the low and no-alcohol drinks market continues to grow strongly.
Sponsor of the Pub of the Year and Chef of the Year
When seven farmers from the Midlands set out to attract new union members in 1910, few of them would have predicted how successful they’d be.
Yet, over a century later, NFU Mutual continue to offer expert insurance to the farming community and remain an integral part of the British countryside. We have grown to become a leading name outside farming too, and now offer an extensive range of personal cover with the same expertise.
It’s our mutuality which sets us apart. We are owned by and run for our over 900,000 members, and we work hard to protect their interests. From our 295 local agent offices offering personal service to our tailored quotes you cannot get on price comparison sites, your needs are at the heart of everything we do.
Gaining accolades is one way of being recognised for the high standards of customer service and cover which we provide. We take pride in the fact that many of our general insurance products have received recognition from third parties, demonstrating our commitment to providing you with a comprehensive level of cover.
But we are not standing still. Supporting our communities is very important to us. We’re committed to helping protect the environment, championing rural communities through events and initiatives, and continuing to offer the best care possible for you, our members.
We have come a long way in the last century, and we are looking forward to the next one.
Sponsor of the Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year
The Peter Hickman Group comprises five hairdressing salons throughout Gloucestershire.
The first was founded in Gloucester in 1957 and Peter himself continues to own and manage the group. Peter was awarded the MBE for his services to the Hairdressing Industry.
Since the earliest days, the company has included the in-house school of hairdressing – evidence of Peter’s commitment to training and development from the beginning. The training does not stop when the employee completes their apprenticeship. Their staff are highly motivated people and are ready to move forwards. The importance of highly trained qualified and motivated staff has always been seen as the keystone of the business.
They achieved recognition for the Investors in People national standard in June 1995 and continue to hold this award. A high proportion of staff training takes place with L’Oreal UK, who (together with Redken and Tigi) is one of the major manufacturers of hairdressing products which the group use.
Sponsor of the Sustainability and Environmental
Target 2030 is a business energy efficiency project that aims to support small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in Gloucestershire, Swindon and Wiltshire to achieve a change in their energy consumption, putting them on a more sustainable footing for the future.
The service is funded through the European Regional Development Fund and delivered by Severn Wye Energy Agency, a Gloucestershire sustainability charity with over 20 years of experience supporting local businesses.
The programme aims to support over 300 Gloucestershire SMEs and 90 SMEs in Swindon and Wiltshire, offering two branches of support:
Free energy efficiency survey
A free energy efficiency survey from one of Severn Wye Energy Agency’s expert Business Energy Advisors, along with an analysis of historical energy bills and a detailed energy action plan report highlighting the key points and recommendations.
30% grant funding towards improvements
Following on from the survey you’ll be able to apply for partial grants towards installing recommended energy efficiency measures. Grants are in the range of £500 to £60,000. The grant is subject to meeting a minimum carbon saving and covers 30% of the cost of purchase and installation.
Sponsors of Best Food Product or Producer
Established in 1845, the RAU has a wealth of experience. Our academics work closely with business leaders and employers to provide students with the skills and knowledge they need to start their careers.
The current global challenges of food security, climate change and Brexit provide unprecedented opportunities for the land-based sector and, importantly, for our students.
RAU graduates whether studying as an undergraduate or postgraduate student leave prepared for successful careers in their chosen field, whether that be leading innovation and change in industry, informing future land-based policy, or setting up their own businesses; which many of our entrepreneurial students do with great success.
We help students develop an entrepreneurial mindset, whatever their course. In 2019 we became just the 6th University - and the first small, specialist - to be made a Centre of Excellence by the Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs (IOEE). With the help of the Enterprise Programme many students have launched new businesses.
Students joining the 17,000-strong global alumni network follow in the distinguished footsteps of entrepreneurs, politicians, writers and Olympic athletes. This powerful network of alumni spans the globe and offers fantastic opportunities for professional development and socialising.
Our students are a name not a number. The RAU is a close-knit community that students call a home from home. The student experience is at the heart of what we do and we love to welcome our students into the “Ciren” community.