BUSINESSES from Northwich, Knutsford, Holmes Chapel, Wilmslow and Nantwich tasted success at annual awards.

At an event at Chester Racecourse 350 people from the hospitality industry gathered to discover who had won the annual Taste Cheshire Awards.

More than 40,000 votes were cast by customers of venues across Cheshire, which saw a shortlist in each category mystery-dined and shopped by industry experts to find out the gold, silver and bronze medal winners.

The local winners were as follows.

Local Produce Shop - Bronze - Cheerbrook Farm Shop, Nantwich; Gold – The Hollies Farm Shop, Little Budworth.

2018 Festival Sausage Competition - Plain Pork Sausage - Winner - Cheerbrook Farm Shop, Nantwich.

Family Friendly Venue - Bronze - The Lambing Shed, Knutsford; Gold - The Fishpool Inn, Northwich.

Best Use of Local Produce in a Menu; Silver - George and Dragon, Holmes Chapel.

Best Sandwich Shop - Gold – Bloom, Nantwich.

Best Newcomer - Bronze - Tap and Pantry, The Stanneylands; Gold - Deadwood Smokehouse, Nantwich.

Excellence in Customer Care - Bronze - George and Dragon, Holmes Chapel.

Outstanding Achievement - Winner - The Hollies Farm Shop, Little Budworth.

Taste Cheshire general manager and Food and Drink Festival organiser, Briony Wilson said: “It was one of the best events we have ever put on.

The industry gets so little time to get together and celebrate what an amazing job they all do representing Cheshire to the millions of visitors we have to the county every year.

“All of our nominees have had a wonderful 2017 and our winners at each level have excelled at the very top of their game.

“It is a privilege for us to be able to celebrate their achievements with them.”

Taste Cheshire owner Stephen Wundke said: “Our annual awards have been running for 18 years and by staging these just after the Food and Drink Festival we bring a huge focus across the UK onto Cheshire and its food and drink Industry.

“This was a superb night and we are already planning how we can introduce more categories for 2019 to encourage even more people into the industry.”