Competition hots up!
Voting has hit record numbers for this year’s Liverpool Food and Drink Festival Awards with restaurants, bars, hotels and producers battling it out to be titled ‘the city’s best’.
In just two weeks, more than 1,000 votes have already been received, and the number is growing by the hour.
Denise Harris, MD of organisers SK Events, said: “Festival exhibitors are recognising the value of the Liverpool Food and Drink Festival Awards, and this is evident through the continuous efforts from nominees who are encouraging people to vote. Winning one of these prestigious accolades at the Liverpool Food and Drink Festival Awards, which is already being touted as one of the most anticipated events in Liverpool’s culinary calendar, is the best industry acknowledgement and the unprecedented number of entries highlights just that.”
More than 70 exhibitors have been urging people to vote through Facebook, Twitter, email marketing campaigns, by using website promotions, handing out ‘Vote for Us’ cards and leafleting and at other major foodie events
Adam Bell, business development manager at Malmaison Liverpool, said: “We’ve gone all out to support the Liverpool Food & Drink Festival this year. The festival forms an intrinsic part of the hotel’s relaunch campaign and everyone here is extremely excited to be re connecting with our local market once again. The Liverpool Mal has an undying commitment and passion to showcasing the very best of Merseyside produce and we truly hope that our efforts will be recognised in the public voting – we have some super competitive characters within the team who are pulling out all of the stops.”
Businesses across the city are calling on their most loyal customers to vote in the awards.
Candice Fonseca, owner of Delifonseca, said: “For the past two weeks, the team has been doing all they can to ensure that our Dockside deli and restaurant wins Best Sunday Lunch and our Stanley Street branch gets Best Customer Service. It’s fantastic that so many customers have offered their support and voted online and that overwhelming community spirit is always apparent in the run up to these awards year-on-year. The city’s diners are the best judges a restaurant could ever ask for.”
Adam Franklin, owner of Franklins Deli, added: “Franklins has taken to Twitter to spread the gospel of the food and drink festival and our loyal tweethearts are sharing like never before. We’re loving being able to talk directly to our foodies online and hearing what they think about Franklins and the other local cafes and restaurants from around the city.
“If we get the same response in votes that we do from our social networks, this year's competition is sure to be fierce.”
The awards, on September 12, will be the culmination of a week-long food and drink festival. All of the 11 category winners will be voted for by the public.
Lunya won last year’s people’s favourite award, and the team are hoping their customers will vote for them again.
Owner Peter Kinsella said: “It would mean so much to know that the public acknowledges the hard work our fantastic team puts in every day of the year. We pride ourselves on delivering the very best in customer service and to receive recognition from the people who count the most – our customers – is what matters more than anything.”
Categories for the 2011 awards include Liverpool’s Favourite Producer, Favourite Independent Cafe/Coffee Shop, Liverpool’s Favourite Restaurant and Liverpool’s Favourite Bar or Pub. As well as support from the Liverpool Daily Post, the event has secured sponsorship from an array of local businesses including Brown Turner Ross, Rhubarb & Custard, Beer Cellars and The De Vere Group.
To cast your vote visit http://www.liverpoolfoodanddrinkfestival.co.uk/the-awards