The Wensleydale Heifer is celebrating after being recognised at The Food Awards as Best Seafood Restaurant in the North of England.
The restaurant and hotel, in Leyburn, North Yorkshire, has become renowned for its famous lobster dishes, sumptuous steaks and fish and chips, even though the restaurant’s closest harbour is more than one and a half hours away in Hartlepool.
It beat off stiff competition from some of the north’s very best seafood restaurants, including The Magpie in Whitby, The Crab and Lobster in Thirsk and Ocean Treasure in Manchester, to win the title.
David Moss, owner of The Wensleydale Heifer, said: “It’s such a fantastic achievement to have been recognised for our seafood dishes. We class ourselves as one of the very best seafood restaurants in the country, so to be recognised by the Food Awards for England is a great success and further cements our belief and confidence in the dishes we serve every day.”
He added: “The other venues in our category are absolutely outstanding, one of our heroes Rick Stein once claimed The Magpie served the best fish and chips in the country, so we feel extremely proud to have been to have been nominated alongside these established names across such a wide ranges of locations, from Manchester to just south of the Scottish borders. I think the whole team will be celebrating with our favourite Lobster and Maple Syrup salad dish.”
Lewis and David Moss, the father and son owners of the boutique restaurant with rooms, have recently celebrated ten years at the helm of The Heifer, having changed it into an award-winning destination where customers return time and time again.
Lewis said: “We pride ourselves on our use of locally-sourced produce and the freshest, best quality ingredients. We might be located 55 miles from our seafood suppliers, but their hardworking team ensure we receive the very best produce, which has always been caught that very morning. Myself and the team would like to thank all of our suppliers for their commitment and service, the dishes we create every day for our guests wouldn’t be the same without their outstanding produce.”
The third annual Food Awards England took place last month at The Mercure Manchester Piccadilly Hotel. Celebrating everything FOOD related by recognising and rewarding the best in servers, specialists and manufacturing within England.
Irfan Younis of event organisers for The Food Awards England said: “This is the third time that this ceremony has taken place in England and it was amazing to see so many people come out to support the nominees. The food industry is showing great signs of growth in England, with some amazing new food places being opened across the country. Congratulations to all the winners and finalists and we thank everyone who participated to make this night another memorable event.”
