Vote for your favourite foodie haunt in the Christchurch area

11:30am Monday 22nd March 2010

By Daily Echo reporter

ORGANISERS of the Christchurch Food and Wine Festival are appealing for readers’ help in the Best Of The Best Awards 2010.

Event co-ordinators have unveiled a shortlist of pubs, restaurants, cafes and takeaways that have been nominated for a trophy in the annual awards ceremony.

The categories are Best Fine Dining Restaurant, Best Restaurant, Best Café or Tearoom, Best Pub or Winebar Food, Best Takeaway, Best Fish and Chips, Best Family Friendly, Best Weekday Lunch, Best Sunday Lunch and Best Customer Service.

Readers who vote will be in with a chance of winning a luxury meal for two at the Eastclose Country House Hotel and will be able to vote by telephone, text and email.

Once the voting is complete, mystery diners will visit the top five establishments in each category to make their decisions on the winners.

In true Oscars style (well, this is a big awards do) the results of the Best of the Best Awards will be sealed in envelopes until the razzmatazz of the big night at the Eastclose Country House Hotel on May 10.

More details about the 11th annual Christchurch Food and Wine Festival can be found at christchurchfoodfest.co.uk

The site also gives biographies of the celebrity chefs who will be appearing at the festival – including Christchurch Food Festival patron Lesley Waters, celebrated Indian chef Cyrus Todiwala OBE and Britain’s foremost vegetarian cookery writer, Rose Elliot MBE.

Also making an appearance at a literary lunch during festival week will be acclaimed New Zealand chef and restaurateur Peter Gordon.

Other features include a gallery of photos from previous events and a video showing the highlights of last year’s hugely successful festival.

The International Food Market will again take place in the pedestrianised High Street on May 8 and 9 and, as always, restaurants, pubs and cafes throughout the town will be offering special meals and offers over the 10 days of the festival.

The International Food Market will have more than 100 stalls selling a wide variety of food and food-related products.

Spaces are already filling up fast. Producers who would like a stall should contact Ann Simon on 01202 495127 as soon as possible.

• See Monday's Daily Echo for full details of participating businesses and how to vote. Details will also be printed in Echo on March 24, 25, 26 and 29th and April 1, 3 and 5th. They will also be printed in the Christchurch Advertiser on March 25 and April 1.