With excitement mounting in anticipation of the Ox In A Box Food Awards tonight, here’s a quick reminder of who will be at the glittering awards ceremony.
Over 20,000 of you took part in some seriously competitive voting, and these are the four finalists in each of the 12 categories attending tonight, alongside Raymond Blanc at The Old Fire Station in Oxford where the winners will be announced.
The event is being sponsored by Thomas Franks, Goldstar Recruitment, Four Seasons Fruiterers, Oxford Fine Dining, The Oxford Wine Company and Chalgrove Artisan Distillery.
In no particular order here are the finalists in all 12 categories:
1) Best Newcomer 2020 – Taste Tibet (East Oxford), White House (Bladon), Waggon and Horses (Southmoor), Farm & Table (Wykham Park near Banbury).
2) Best Newcomer 2021 – Five Little Pigs (Wallingford), Tap Social White House (Oxford), Back Lane Tavern (Woodstock), The Medley (Binsey)
3) Best Cafe – Milkshed (Weston On The Green), Wandering Kitchen (Berinsfield), Waste2Taste (Cowley), Green Routes (East Oxford).
4) Best European – Mr Souvlaki (Banbury), Arbequina (East Oxford), Brasserie Blanc, (Jericho), El Rincon (Summertown).
5) Best Veggie/Vegan – Green Routes (East Oxford), Table 13 (Wheatley), Coconut Tree (St Clements), The Punter (Osney, Oxford).
6) Best Global – Dosa Park (Oxford), Spiced Roots (East Oxford), Taste Tibet (East Oxford), Oli’s Thai (East Oxford).
7) Best Pop-Up – Dish (Harwell), Table 13 (Wheatley), The Medley (Binsey), Raw Pantry (Bicester)
8) Best Restaurant – Jam Factory (Oxford), No 1 Ship Street (Oxford), Spiced Roots (East Oxford), Five Little Pigs (Wallingford)
9) Best Pub – Abingdon Arms (Beckley), White Rabbit (Oxford), The White House (Bladon), Chester (East Oxford).
10) Best Gastropub – White Hart (Fyfield), Greyhound (Letcombe Regis), Hollybush (Witney), The Lamb (Crawley).
11) Best Chef – Mike North (Nut Tree, Murcott), Paul Welburn (215), Johnny Parke (Back Lane Woodstock), Martin Sherriff (Black Horse Standlake/ Greyhound Letcombe Regis)
12) Out of the Box – extraordinary pandemic transformations – White Hart (Fyfield), White Hart (Wytham), Black Horse (Standlake), The Medley (Osney).
We can’t wait for the OxInABox Food Awards will keep you posted on all the winners.
The evening aims to raise money for the Thomas Franks Foundation as well as highlighting our local food heroes.
We would like to thank our sponsors again, because without them the OxInABox Food Awards just wouldn’t happen.