Alnwick Food Festival was set up to champion the high-quality local food producers in Northumbria. As part of the festival, the Food Trail highlights restaurants, cafés and pubs which support local food producers by including their produce on their menus. The Food Trail is sponsored by L Robson and Sons, producers of the famous Craster kippers, and Northumberland Tourism. It is designed to last for the rest of the year, not just during Alnwick Food Festival weekend.

The Criteria
To be included on the Alnwick Food Festival Food Trail, participants had to show their commitment to local producers by including at least three items of Northumbrian produce on their menus.

The Competition
The race to be named Alnwick Food Festival Restaurant of the Year 2008, after Bistro 23, in Alnmouth, was named top venue in 2006, and the Masons Arms, at Rennington, was declared the Restaurant of the Year in 2005 (the Food Trail was not run in 2007), is open to all participants on the trail who serve meals. This year a panel of judges, including a top chef and food festival committee members will be involved in the judging. Initially, the competition will be judged by you, the customer, at the participating eateries, and mean scores at the end of the year will decide the winner. To qualify for the competition, each restaurant must accrue at least 20 responses from customers. By visiting a restaurant and entering your vote, you also stand a chance of winning a luxury Northumbrian hamper, as explained below.

The Participants
Restaurants, cafes, pubs and hotels which have displayed their commitment to local produce will be invited on to the Alnwick Food Festival Food Trail 2008. Links to websites have been included where they are available. The successful candidates are:

The Fishing Boat Inn, BOULMER

The Seafield Restaurant, 17 Seafield Road, SEAHOUSES

Victoria Hotel, Front Street, BAMBURGH

Lilburns, 7 Paikes Street, ALNWICK

Restaurant Italia Plus, Coquetvale Hotel, ROTHBURY

Beadnell Towers Hotel, BEADNELL

Dunstanburgh Castle Hotel, EMBLETON

Red Lion, 22 Northumberland Street, ALNMOUTH

Bistro 23, 23 Northumberland Street, ALNMOUTH

The Percy Arms Hotel , CHATTON

The Sanctuary at the Castle, Bow Alley, ALNWICK

Grannies, 18 Narrowgate, ALNWICK

The Art House, 14 Bondgate Within, ALNWICK

Mason’s Arms, Stamford Cotts, RENNINGTON

Louis Steakhouse at The Grapevine, ALNWICK

No16 Restaurant, Warkworth House Hotel, WARKWORTH

The Tower Restaurant, 10 Bondgate Within, ALNWICK

Hardy's Bistro, White Swan Hotel, Bondgate Within, ALNWICK

Tankerville Arms, EGLINGHAM

Blackmore's of Alnwick, Bondgate Without, ALNWICK

The Treehouse, Alnwick Garden, ALNWICK

2006 winners

Restaurant of the Year 2006 voted by participants in the Alnwick Food Festival Food Trail was Bistro 23, 23 Northumberland Street, Alnmouth. Tel: +44 (0)1665 830393

The winner of the Food Trail Restaurant of the Year was the Masons Arms at Rennington (tel: +44 (0)1665 577275). The owners Bob and Alison Culverwell, and head chef Craig Mitchell are pictured below being presented with the Robson Trophy by sponsor Neil Robson (left) and president of Alnwick Lions Club, Graham Luke (second from right):

The winner of the Robson hamper draw was Mrs P Gilhespy, of Tynemouth. She had dined at the Mason's Arms and her favourite dish was "sausages". She gave a mark of 36.