On the night of Monday 2nd October, Emma, Steve, Gabe and Rachael got their glad rags on for the annual black tie event for the Food and Drink Devon Awards, which was held at Sandy Park in Exeter. It was a great opportunity for us to catch up with some of our wonderful customers and to reflect on the past year we’ve had with other fantastic Devon businesses.
There was a great atmosphere around and of course a delicious four course meal comprised of products from the awards, the beef was a highlight, along with local wines. It really felt like Devon has a fantastic plethora of brilliant food and drink offerings, from producers to farmers to cafes and restaurants. The field to plate culture is truly alive in this county and it made us proud to be part of it.
We were over the moon to receive Gold awards in all three categories that we entered, with each of us taking it in turns to grace the stage and have a photo taken with our certificates.
Firstly, in the Producer category, Voyager got Gold awards for two of our popular retail blends, Road Trip & Native. We work hard to ensure our coffees are both responsibly sourced, fresh and of course roasted to perfection, so we were very happy with the results.
Next, Steve received a Gold award in the Training School category for Voyagers fantastic training centre. We know many of you have visited us for barista training over the years and Steve is a brilliant teacher. He ensures everybody’s skills are up to scratch, ensuring our customers are serving their coffee to the best it can possibly be.
Last but most importantly not least, in the Sustainability category, we received another Gold award for our ongoing work ensuring Voyager as a business is working on our “zero to landfill” policy. All of our Voyager packaging is fully compostable as you know and we continue to uphold our values on sustainability to look after our planet.
Then there were our fantastic customers who received awards too!
In the Producer category we saw The Local Scoop win a Gold for their Dark Chocolate Sorbetto, well done guys! Plus our local friends from over the road Fresh Flour & Hylsten Bakery took Gold awards for their products too, in both the Procucer category & for their work on sustainability. Buckfastleigh has talented folks!
In the Hospitality section our fab customers Bayards Cove Inn, Home Farm Cafe, Offshore Bar & Restaurant, Old Walls Vineyard, Riverford Field Kitchen, The Bridge at Mount Batten, The Orchard Kitchen, The Bucket & Spade, The Cove and Turtley Corn Mill all scooped Gold Awards!! We are proud of you all.
We were in good company for the Sustainability Pioneers category, with Riverford Field Kitchen and Dartington Trading Company and again Hylsten Bakery & Fresh Flour also grabbing a Gold. Its great to hear that within our local community, so many of us are committed to working towards a better future.
Finally, in the Best Training School category, our friends at The Ashburton Cookery School scored a Gold too! Amazing work.
What a night of celebrating our local producers and hospitality heros in Devon and what an achievement for all involved. If you’re reading this, you should go and hit up our customers for a tasty meal and of course a fantastic Voyager Coffee.
We’re looking forward to the year ahead!