The winners of the South West’s most hotly anticipated reader-voted awards were announced on February 10 at a rustic shindig at Darts Farm in Topsham, Devon

With the guidance of your on-the-ground foodie insights, we’ve crowned the region’s finest chefs, restaurants, retailers and more since 2012. The impressive line-up of past winners reads like a who’s who of the South West food and drink scene (Nathan Outlaw, Michael Caines, Paul Ainsworth etc …) and now we’ve added new names to the list thanks to our fabulous food readers.

After a whopping 100,000 votes, we were thrilled to reveal the Food Reader Awards 2020 winners at a foodie-studded awards ceremony at Darts Farm in Devon on February 10.

Food Reader Awards 2020 winners …

Best Chef – sponsored by Sharp’s Brewery

Winner: Dan Moon – The Gainsborough Bath Spa
Grand finalists: Nicholas Hack – The Cadeleigh Arms; Oliver Certain – The Swan Bampton; Philip Verden – Lord Poulett Arms

Best Restaurant – sponsored by Total Produce

Winner: Number Eight, Bideford
Grand finalists: Pasta Ripiena, Bristol; Penrose Kitchen, Truro; The Longstore, Charlestown

Best Foodie Hotel – sponsored by Salt

Winner: The Greenbank Hotel, Falmouth
Grand finalists: Boringdon Hall, Plymouth; THE PIG – at Combe, Honiton; Two Bridges Hotel, Dartmoor

Best Cocktail Bar – sponsored by Impact

Winner: On the Rocks, Truro
Grand finalists: Dr Ink’s, Exeter; The Dark Horse, Bath; Tom Thumb, Newquay

Best Cafe – sponsored by Independent Coffee Guide

Winner: Porthgwidden Beach Cafe, St Ives
Grand finalists: Block, Barnstaple; Box & Barber Coffeehouse, Newquay; Halulu, Teignmouth

Best Foodie Pub – presented by Sandford Orchards

Winner: The Mariners, Rock
Grand finalists: The Bank Tavern, Bristol; Pyne Arms, East Down; The Victory Inn, St Mawes

Best Drink – sponsored by Luscombe

Winner: Salcombe Gin
Grand finalists: Northmoor Gin; St Ives Gin; Wicked Wolf Gin

Best Foodie Product – sponsored by Darts Farm

Winner: Da Bara Bakery cinnamon buns
Grand finalists: Bell & Loxton cold pressed rapeseed oil; Cornish Moo milk; Sharpham brie

Best Indie Retailer – sponsored by Trencherman’s Guide

Winner: Ashburton Delicatessen, Devon
Grand finalists: Great Cornish Food Store, Truro; Hobbs House Bakery, Bristol; Veg in a Box, Exeter

Best Cookery School – sponsored by Raw Food & Drink PR

Winner: Vale House Kitchen, Timsbury, Bath
Grand finalists: Exeter Cookery School; Manna from Devon Cookery School, Kingswear; Truro School Cookery

Best Wine List – sponsored by Regency Wines

Winner: Gidleigh Park, Chagford
Grand finalists: Rendezvous Wine Bar, Exeter; Scarlet Wines, Hayle; Woods Bar & Restaurant, Dulverton

Best Farm Shop – sponsored by Wicked Wolf Gin

Winner: Darts Farm, Topsham
Grand finalists: Ben’s Farm Shop, Totnes; Gloucester Services, M5; Padstow Farm Shop, Padstow

These fabulous awards wouldn’t be possible without our fantastic sponsors. Big love to Darts Farm, Regency Wines, Salt Media, Sharp’s Brewery, Total Produce and Wicked Wolf Gin. 

Food Reader Awards 2019 winners …

Best Chef – sponsored by Sharp’s Brewery

Winner: Dave Jenkins – Rock Salt Cafe (Plymouth)
Grand finalists: Ashley Wright – The Horn of Plenty (Gulworthy); Claire Moore – The Station Kitchen (West Bay); Dan Moon – The Gainsborough Bath Spa

Best Restaurant – sponsored by Total Produce

Winner: Porthminster Beach Cafe, St Ives
Grand finalists: Bellita – Bristol; Brassica Restaurant – Beaminster; Harry’s Restaurant – Exeter

Best Foodie Hotel – sponsored by Trencherman’s Guide

Winner: Lympstone Manor – Exmouth
Grand finalists: Mount Haven Hotel – Marazion; St Michaels Resort – Falmouth; Ston Easton Park Hotel – Bath

Best Cocktail Bar – sponsored by The Wrecking Coast Distillery

Winner: Crocketts – Exeter
Grand finalists: The Milk Thistle – Bristol; The Old Grammar School – Truro; Tigermilk at The Duke – Plymouth

Best Cafe – sponsored by Frobishers

Winner: Mokoko – Bristol
Grand finalists: Soulshine – Bridport; The Almond Thief – Dartington; The Hidden Hut – Porthcurnick

Best Foodie Pub – sponsored by L George Butchers

Winner: The Rising Sun – Truro
Grand finalists: Bear Bar & Kitchen – St Agnes; The Bear and Blacksmith – Chillington; The Cadeleigh Arms – Tiverton

Best Drink – sponsored by Dartington Crystal 

Winner: Wrecking Coast Gin
Grand finalists: Conker Spirit Dorset Dry Gin; Salcombe Gin; Wicked Wolf Gin

Best Foodie Product – sponsored by Impact 

Winner: Baker Tom’s Bread sourdough
Grand finalists: Dorset Sea Salt; Purbeck Ice Cream; Extract Coffee Roasters Unkle Funka

Best Indie Retailer – sponsored by Salt Media

Winner: Chococo – Exeter
Grand finalists: Ashburton Delicatessen – Devon; The Cornish Food Box Company – Truro; The Bristol Cheesemonger

Best Cookery School – sponsored by Greenbank Hotel

Winner: Ashburton Cookery School – Devon
Grand finalists: Lucknam Park Cookery School – Wiltshire; Manna from Devon Cookery School – Kingswear; River Cottage Cookery School – Axminster

Best Wine List – sponsored by Enotria & Coe

Winner: The Longstore – Charlestown
Grand finalists: La Cave – Falmouth; The Olive Tree – Bath; Woods Bar & Restaurant – Dulverton

Best Farm Shop – sponsored by Soil Association

Winner: Trevaskis Farm Shop – Cornwall
Grand finalists: Ben’s Farm Shop – Totnes; Greendale Farm Shop – Farringdon; Jon Thorners Farm Shop – Shepton Mallet