Hat-trick for Banbury in FreeFrom awards

The awards were launched to raise awareness of places where people with allergies and intolerances can eat safely.

Knife and Fork, a pop-up home restaurant, in Deddington, was the gold winner in the restaurant and hotel/guest house categories and was one of five runners-up in the overall winner category.

The restaurant is run by chef Tanya Young, who welcomes guests into the home of her and her husband, John, on certain weekends each month.

The judges of the awards praised Tanya for her minute attention to detail and her ‘perfect presentation’. They added everything was made with allergens in mind.

They said: “Tanya lives for what she does, and loves it.

“Everything was cooked to perfection, with a variety of textures, colours and flavours that complimented each other perfectly.

“The entire meal was a feast to the eyes.

“We felt warm and fuzzy about the entire experience and can’t wait to go again.”

Judges also praised their rooms for their tasteful and restful decor.

Little Amsterdam, in Banbury gained its owner Ilja Harvey Andrews a silver award in the cafe category. Judges praised the cafe’s ‘excellent gluten free and dairy free menu and generously portioned food.’

They also praised the cafe for its range of 12 gluten-free and nut-free ice creams.

Also winning a silver medal in the cafe section was the British Motor Museum in Gaydon.

The judges said: “We were impressed with the level of service, and the attention to detail, especially during a busy lunch service. The emphasis is definitely geared towards gluten free but they did have a separate menu with the free from selections available.

“When informed of our more complex needs, the head chef took over the creation of the allergen safe meal and brought it over to us himself.

“It was more work for him, but he was more than happy to accommodate. A very positive experience.”

Paul Kelly, head chef at the British Motor Museum said: “We are delighted to have won this prestigious award.

“We take great pleasure in aspiring to the highest food production standards for the enjoyment of our visitors and winning this award is testament to that.”

The museum has had Coeliac UK GF (Gluten Free) accreditation since 2015.

The café menu and allergen links can be found at www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/plan-your-visit/eating. There is also an allergen information point in the cafe and trained allergen staff on hand to answer any customer queries.

The overall winner of the awards was the Labrynth Holistic Cafe, in Stockton-on-Tees.

The awards were presented at Food Matters Live in November.