River Cottage escapee traps two top Glenfiddich Food & Drink Awards

London's IMAX was the spectacular setting for the presentation of the 32nd annual Glenfiddich Food & Drink Awards, an event that aims to recognise excellence in writing, publishing and broadcasting on the subjects of food and drink. Celebrity attendees included Antony Worrall Thompson, Gordon Ramsay, Raymond Blanc, the River Café duo Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers, Jancis Robinson and famous fish-man, Rick Stein. The evening was hosted by broadcaster Kirsty Wark.

Author and front-man of C4's A Cook on the Wild Side and the River Cottage series, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall snared the coveted Food Book Award for The River Cottage Cookbook (£19.99 HarperCollins Illustrated). The book helps the reader enjoy life more - their life with food that is - while encouraging us to question the means by which our food is produced. Hugh was also presented with The Glenfiddich Trophy for his outstanding contribution towards widening the understanding and appreciation of excellent food and drink in Britain. He has consistently produced high-quality, innovative television work and, through his unique approach, has attracted viewers never previously interested in the field. He was also commended both for his ambition to alter people's perception of food and for his active campaigning against intensive farming methods.

On receiving the awards, Hugh commented: "My experiences at River Cottage over the last three years have radically changed my life. This book aims to help those who care as much about food as I do, to make informed choices and vastly improve the quality of what they eat and drink. To have the Glenfiddich panel add its seal of approval is tremendously encouraging and means a great deal."

Other major categories included the Drink Book Award, won by writing team Susy Atkins and Dave Broom for Drink!...never mind the peanuts (£15.99 Mitchell Beazley). An irresistible introduction to alcohol that takes a no-nonsense approach to the plethora of wines, beers and spirits now available. The work guides the reader through every popular drink - from lager to wheat beer, from Chardonnay to Cabernet Sauvignon, from gin to whisky - in a thoroughly informative and entertaining style.

Television producer, Patricia Llewellyn, won The Glenfiddich Independent Spirit Award, in recognition of her progressive and confident approach to food and drink broadcasting. Patricia's tremendous list of achievements date back to 1989 when she worked on C4's The Media Show and Without Walls. More recent successes include Two Fat Ladies and three series of the BAFTA Award-winning Naked Chef, starring Jamie Oliver.

Radio 4 Woman's Hour 'Forgotten fruit and vegetables' won the Radio Programme Award. Presented by Anna McNamee and produced by Rebecca Armstrong, the programme brought foodie matters to a wider audience, raising awareness of little-known produce. Fred Foster and Sybil Kapoor also contributed.

Winners were presented with a mixed case of Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky including Glenfiddich Special Reserve 12 Year Old, Solera Reserve 15 Year Old and Ancient Reserve 18 Year Old, along with a cheque for £1000.

Glenfiddich is the only Highland malt to be distilled, matured and bottled at its own distillery.

Website: http://www.glenfiddich.com

Note to Editors:

Established in 1970, the Glenfiddich Food & Drink Awards, aim to recognise excellence in writing, publishing and broadcasting on the subjects of food and drink.

Winners are:

FOOD BOOK

The River Cottage Cookbook by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (HarperCollins Illustrated)

Short listed:
The Cheese Room by Patricia Michelson (Michael Joseph)
Moro: The Cookbook by Sam and Samantha Clark (Ebury Press)
Rick Stein's Seafood by Rick Stein (BBC Books)

DRINK BOOK

Drink!. Never mind the peanuts by Susy Atkins and Dave Broom (Mitchell Beazley)

Short listed:
Booze by Richard Neill (Cassell & Co)
Bordeaux: People, Power and Politics by Stephen Brook (Mitchell Beazley)

FOOD WRITER

Clarissa Hyman for work in Country Living

Short listed:
Terry Durack for work in Food & Travel
Michael Raffael for work in Food & Travel

MAGAZINE COOKERY WRITER

Sybil Kapoor for work in Waitrose Food Illustrated

Short listed:
Shona Crawford Poole for work in Country Living
Alessandro Tomé for work in Harpers & Queen

NEWSPAPER COOKERY WRITER

Rowley Leigh for work in The Sunday Telegraph Magazine

Short listed:
Michael Bateman for work in The Independent Sunday Review
Jeremy Lee for work in The Guardian Weekend

RESTAURANT CRITIC

Caroline Stacey for work in The Independent

Short listed:
Fay Maschler for work in the Evening Standard
Terry Durack for work in The Independent Sunday Review

DRINK WRITER

Dave Broom for work in Wine and Harpers On Trade

Short listed:
Michael Jackson for work in The Independent
Richard Ehrlich for work in The Independent Sunday Review

WINE WRITER

John Stimpfig for articles in the Weekend FT How to spend it

Short listed:
Andrew Jefford for work in the Evening Standard and Decanter
Monty Waldin for work in Harpers

REGIONAL WRITER

WINNER - Joanna Blythman for work in the Sunday Herald

Short listed:
Carol Trewin for work in the Western Morning News
Sue Lawrence for work in Scotland on Sunday

RADIO PROGRAMME

Woman's Hour, 'Forgotten Fruit and Vegetables', BBC Radio 4, Presenter Anna McNamee with Sybil Kapoor and Fred Foster, Producer Rebecca Armstrong

Short listed:
The Food Programme, 'Mustard', BBC Radio 4, Presenter Sheila Dillon, Producer
Rebecca Wells
Kitchen Cornucopia, BBC Radio 4, Presenters Dr Peter Barham and Heston
Blumenthal, Producer Amanda Hargreaves

TELEVISION PROGRAMME

No award made this year

VISUAL WORK

John Reardon for work in The Observer Food Monthly

Short listed:

Peter Williams for work in The Sunday Telegraph Magazine
Guy Drayton for work in Harpers
Jonathan Lovekin for work in The Observer Magazine
Nigel Garwood and Rainer Voigt for work in Food Mania, (Thames & Hudson)

2002 GLENFIDDICH INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARD

Patricia Llewellyn, in recognition of her progressive contribution to food and drink broadcasting

From the category winners, one outstanding candidate is selected to receive

THE GLENFIDDICH TROPHY 2002
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

Glenfiddich - the independent spirit. Discover it. Savour it. Enjoy it.

This is the 32nd year of the Glenfiddich Food & Drink Awards, created and sponsored by William Grant & Sons, independent, family-owned distillers of Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Glenfiddich is the UK's favourite single malt Scotch whisky and the only Highland malt to be distilled, matured and bottled at its own distillery

The Glenfiddich range includes Special Reserve 12 Year Old, Solera Reserve 15 Year Old and Ancient Reserve 18 Year Old

SOURCE Glenfiddich Food and Drink Awards