Sponsors

Headline Sponsor and Oustanding Achievement 

More than just a foodservice wholesaler, Thomas Ridley has decades of experience in foodservice and we are proud of our heritage as a long-standing Suffolk business. We pride ourselves not just in supplying our customers with all of the food and drink products that they need, but in providing a personal service and operating today in a way that helps to protect tomorrow.

Delivering food for life, from schools to care homes, football clubs to pubs and from farm shops to fine-dining – we supply the full spectrum of foodservice customers across the East of England and are passionate about working with smaller, local, independent producers, wherever possible. 

In addition, offering a fast, comprehensive and environmentally-conscious service across the catering and hospitality industry is important to us. Over the past year, we’ve been working hard to reduce our energy consumption by 10%, to recycle more across our operation and – most importantly – reduce our own food waste. 

By working more closely with local community food initiatives, we now donate all usable food that we can’t sell to help others and all waste food and drink items are sent to anaerobic digestion instead of landfill; to help make green energy for the grid. We also help our customers to recycle their waste cardboard and cooking oil - helping them to improve their carbon footprint, too. 

No matter what your requirements are – Thomas Ridley is the leading, local, delivered independent foodservice partner for you.  

Sponsoring Best Newcomer

Pier is an award-winning, integrated communications agency. Famed for their knowledge, integrity, and impact, Pier is the leading food and beverage specialist PR agency in Suffolk. 

From global household names to challenger brands, ingredients manufacturers to hospitality, Ipswich-based Pier’s expertise and flair for all things food and drink has led to an impressive legacy of work.  

Sharp media relations, creative campaigns and savvy social media delivery are among the many tools in Pier’s armoury of communications.  

Recently crowned PR Consultancy of the Year at the 2023 regional CIPR PRide Awards, clients say: 

“Lovely team, really knowledgeable and easy to work with.” 

“Pier brought a unique creative influence to our project delivery, which is exactly what we required.” 

“A highly creative and agile agency, delivering consistently engaging and creative campaigns and content.” 

Pier is committed to running its business as ethically and responsibly as possible, including donating 1% of its profit to fighting climate change. Pier monitors its carbon footprint and works diligently to reduce its environmental impact wherever possible. 

Employee wellbeing sits firmly at the heart of Pier, and the agency was recognised at the 2023 UK Company Culture Awards as a finalist in the Best Small Agency to Work For category. 

For businesses and brands looking to bolster their reputation, say hello to Pier. 

Sponsoring Field to Fork

Suffolk New College focuses on providing a curriculum that meets the needs of learners, employers, and the wider community, whilst providing a skilled workforce for the future.

There is something for everyone with our extensive range of learning across a wide range of subject sector areas and campuses based in Suffolk.

Our modern Ipswich campus is near the thriving waterfront and town centre and has brilliant facilities, including a food court and exhibition space. The teaching and training resources include industry-standard automotive, construction and IT workshops, science labs, hair and beauty salons, a spa, 100-seat restaurant and three kitchens, radio, dance and TV studios, a performance venue and an 80-seat lecture theatre.

There is also a state of the art purpose built Tech campus facility for advanced technologies. The Tech campus provides exclusive access to labs and industry standard workshops for specialist courses in the Creative Media Production, Computing & eSports and Games Design & Games Arts sectors.

Our On The Coast campuses in Leiston and Halesworth offer great vocational teaching in specialist coastal learning environments, whilst the Suffolk Rural campus is the location of our land-based industry facilities and programmes.

The Rural campus is located in the heart of the countryside and benefits from a range of specialist vocational workshops and outdoor facilities, as well as general college building.Suffolk New College (SNC) is based in Suffolk with campuses in Ipswich, ‘On the Coast,’ at Leiston (which was opened in September 2018) and the Rural Campus at Otley, acquired following the dissolution of Easton and Otley College at the end of 2019. In addition, Suffolk New College has assumed responsibility for the Skills Centre in Halesworth, where provision commenced in September 2020.

The Values of Suffolk New College are ‘openness and trust; having a learning culture to support all staff; providing platforms for expressing opinions, concerns and views for all staff at all levels; involvement in decision making; recognising, appreciating and celebrating achievement and success areas; actively encouraging and finding time for continued professional development, creating time to generate new ideas and experiment; and valuing and respecting differences and views of others, promoting diversity’. In the pages that follow, evidence will be described to illustrate these achievements. The strapline for the college is, ‘Exceptional Learner Experience,’ and this will be evidenced by, for example, a range of documented feedback from students.

Sponsors of Best Suffolk Producer

The Hotel Folk Limited is a group of six distinctive hotels situated on the coast or within the Suffolk countryside. These include The Brudenell and The White Lion in Aldeburgh, Thorpeness Golf Club & Hotel, The Crown and Castle in Orford, The Crown in Woodbridge and the 15th century Swan Hotel and Spa in Lavenham. Each offer a unique charm of their own; boasting superb accommodation and excellent dining, set in some of the county’s most outstanding locations.

The Hotel Folk, previously known as the TA Hotel Collection, underwent a full rebrand and relaunch in 2019 under the helm of, now CEO, David Scott. Included within this transition, was a £500,000 investment in IT and dynamic marketing systems which included redesigned websites for the group and each individual hotel, a new booking system to centralise room and restaurant reservations and a centralised food and liquor procurement procedure.

In addition, a huge focus on investment in people has driven the vision of the business in the last four years and witnessed the creation of a bespoke training facility as well as intranet ‘Folklore’, that has helped produce some of the very best departments within the industry.

Sponsors of Restaurant of the Year

VENI is the Visitor Economy Network Initiative that brings educators, businesses, the public sector and others together to promote the local hospitality and tourism sector, as a great place to work.   

Over the past two years the initiative has created opportunities for young people as well as older people to develop work-ready skills, participate in, and learn about the local visitor economy. This project, part-funded by the European Social Fund, is all about changing perceptions.

The hospitality and tourism industry is a large and important contributor to the local economy, with plenty of career opportunities for all ages and abilities. Industry categories sitting alongside hospitality and accommodation includes events and festivals, towns and cities, wildlife and zoos, culture and art, coasts and beaches, history and heritage, countryside and waterways and attractions and theme parks.     

 In the past tourism, hospitality and other sectors in the visitor economy were seen as limited careers with seasonal work often part time, low paid, zero contracts and long hours. Highlighting the vast choice of career paths within the sectors and getting first-hand experience and advice from industry leaders is all part of the VENI approach. 

Eight local partners have over the past two years worked closely together to get the message across. and will continue to support the sector over the coming years. 

With the support of industry, the partners have developed and launched the VENI Skills Academy which includes an apprenticeship offer with entry level options and has been developed in recognition of the unique and sometimes quirky needs of the Visitor Economy.  

For more information on how the VENI project can support your organisational needs visit www.veni.org.uk or email info@veni.org.uk  

Beer Partner

Woodforde’s Brewery has been brewing with passion since 1981. Located in the Norfolk village of Woodbastwick, Woodforde’s is the largest brewery in the county. Since its foundation, Woodforde’s has produced numerous award-winning beers which have become the drink of choice for many. The brewery is famed for its Supreme Champion Beer of Britain amber ale, Wherry, named after the iconic boats which still sail The Broads today. The brewery’s use of the finest local and international ingredients has led it to develop numerous delicious beers and cyders, from its American IPA, Volt, to its cyder with a bite, Norfolk Adder. 

Woodforde’s prides itself on the passion and quality put into every pint, and its team of expert brewers are behind the deliciousness in every drop. As a local brewery, Woodforde’s is committed to supporting its community and celebrating Norfolk, as well as the wider East of England, for the quality drinks it produces. Woodforde’s Brewery owns two pubs; its brewery tap The Fur & Feather, and The Lord Nelson, the former watering hole of the Admiral himself. 

Woodforde’s core range can be found in pubs and shops across the country, putting our region on the map as the home of great beer.