Birmingham independent food business of the year award – 2010

It’s about time Birmingham started celebrating it’s food hero’s, after all we’re one of the country’s top food destinations now with a big fine dining scene, and a growing grassroots local food scene. So, in the vein of B:iNS’s ‘Brummie of the Year’ competition, we thought we’d have a bit of fun and run an annual award for the best independent food business in Birmingham.

Here’s the rules:

1. ‘Food Business’ – is very loosely defined – any business or organisation working in the food or drink industry in Birmingham – retailers, producers, restaurants, farmers market, coffee shops, cookery schools etc etc…

2. Birmingham means under the jurisdiction of Birmingham City Council, so includes Sutton Coldfield but not Solihull. Business should either be based in Birmingham, or do virtually all their business in Birmingham.

3. Independent means no more than three owned-outlets anywhere.

4. To nominate,  a single comment is required on this blog post.

5. Nominations are open from now until Boxing Day.

6. Voting will then commence until New Years Day.

Any suggestions of refinements of these rules are welcomed. Loaf is excluded from the competition for reasons of impartiality.

the winner gets a 3 month small ad on this website for free and a little logo for their own website and promo materials – if anyone wants to design one in return for a couple of loaves of sourdough, please get in touch (tomATloafonline.co.uk), otherwise i’ll knock one up with my limited design skills!

Get nominating (remember only one comment needed to nominate a business – voting opens on boxing day)…

Award Winning!

We won an award – community business award for Selly Oak Constituency! Thanks to Matt Powell for nominating us, and great respect to Rob Grovesner of Headmasters and the girls at Maggies Munchies, also nominated, who are both doing great things in the community.

community business award

Loaf wins an award!

tom + sourdough
Photo by Jane Baker / greensnapperphotography.com

Well, I had the honour today of making the winners list for the inaugural MAD’s (McComb Awards for Dining) brummie food awards in the Birmingham Post. Amazingly, I shared a page with such brummie foodie greats as Glynn Purnell, Luke Tipping, and Richard Turner. Not only that, but I seemingly had a whole category named after me, winning the ‘best outdoor-cooked eggs and muffin’ category. You can see the whole article by clicking here or see below for the full text of the mention:

Tom Baker, Cotteridge

Food evangelist, founder member of Birmingham-based LOAF social enterprise and self-taught cook, Tom Baker combines a democratic, culinary zeal with down-to-earth rustic cooking. Yes, like his surname, he is a baker – and an outstanding one at that. One of my food highlights was sharing freshly cooked muffins with the man, topped with fried eggs, all cooked in his adobe-style wood-fired earth oven. Dining alfresco in Cotteridge has never been so good.

Well that just about tops off a fantastic 2009 for me and I hope I can retain the tile in 2010! Tom.