Fortnum & Mason Awards 2024: Henry Jeffreys wins Drink Book of the Year

By James Bayley

Published: 03 May, 2024

Food and drink industry figures gathered yesterday (2 May) at The Royal Exchange in London for the annual Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards. The awards honour UK writers, publishers, photographers, broadcasters and personalities in the food and drink sectors.

Chef and broadcaster Andi Oliver (right) presented the ceremony alongside chef Angela Hartnett OBE (left), chair of the judging panel. Attendees included Saturday Kitchen host Matt Tebbutt, Tom Parker Bowles, TV star Fay Ripley, Liam Charles, Ravneet Gill, Poopy O'Toole, Rick Stein, George Egg and Nisha Katona.

Rick Stein CBE received a Fortnum & Mason Special Award for his 50-year career in food broadcasting and culinary exploration. Frequent Harpers contributor Henry Jeffreys (centre) won Drink Book of the Year for Vines in a Cold Climate, offering insights into the burgeoning English wine scene. Jane Lopes and Jonathan Ross received the Debut Drink Book award for How to Drink Australian, a guide to modern Australian wine.

Read more: Trouble for gin

Elsewhere in the drinks category, Tamlyn Currin won Drink Writer of the Year for her work on jancisrobinson.com, with focuses on sustainability, food-and-wine pairing and book reviews.

Meanwhile, Fuchsia Dunlop won Food Book of the Year for Invitation to a Banquet, exploring China's culinary heritage and Chris van Tulleken's Ultra-Processed People won Debut Food Book for its investigation into ultra-processed food.

Emiko Davies' Gohan was named Cookery Book of the Year, celebrating Japanese home cooking. Philip Khoury won Debut Cookery Book for A New Way to Bake, focusing on plant-based desserts.

Winner of the Audio category went to an episode of BBC Radio 4s The Food Programme which was recorded in Gaza and investigated how the current conflict had impacted the food supplies. Food writer Sophie Grigson’s television programme Slice of Italy was awarded best Programme.

The Personalities of the Year were, unsurprisingly, Si King and Dave Myers AKA The Hairy Bikers. Si King wrote in April: “Dave and I are so chuffed to be nominated for the Fortnum & Mason Personality of the Year for the 4th year running. Dave was so proud of this award, particularly because it’s voted for by our loyal followers and fans, the people who matter most to us.”

Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards 2024 Winners:

Drink Book

Winner: "Vines in a Cold Climate" by Henry Jeffreys (Allen & Unwin)

Peat and Whisky: The Unbreakable Bond by Mike Billett (Saraband)

Slow Drinks: A Field Guide to Foraging and Fermenting Seasonal Sodas, Botanical Cocktails, Homemade Wines, and More by Danny Childs (Hardie Grant)

Debut Drink Book

Winner: "How to Drink Australian" by Jane Lopes & Jonathan Ross (Murdoch Books)

Desi Pubs: A guide to British-Indian pubs, food and culture by David Jesudason (CAMRA)

Talha Tales: Portugal’s Ancient Answer to Amphora Wines by Paul James White (White Ridgeway)

Drink Writer

Winner: Tamlyn Currin for work on jancisrobinson.com

Adam Wells for work in Cider Review

Nina Caplan for work in The Times & Club Oenologique

Food Book

Winner: "Invitation to a Banquet: The Story of Chinese Food" by Fuchsia Dunlop (Particular Books, Penguin Random House)

Of Cabbages & Kimchi by James Read (Particular Books, Penguin Random House)

Welcome to Our Table: A Celebration of What Children Eat Everywhere by Laura Mucha and Ed Smith with illustrations by Harriet Lynas (Nosy Crow)

Debut Food Book

Winner: "Ultra-Processed People" by Chris van Tulleken (Cornerstone Press, Penguin Random House)

Food of the Cods: How Fish and Chips Made Britain by Daniel Gray (HarperNorth)

Medlars: Growing & Cooking by Jane Steward (Prospect Books)

Cookery Book

Winner: "Gohan: Everyday Japanese Cooking: Memories and stories from my family’s kitchen" by Emiko Davies (Smith Street Books)

Comfort & Joy: Irresistible Pleasures from a Vegetarian Kitchen by Ravinder Bhogal (Bloomsbury)

Frontières: The Food of France’s Borderlands by Alex Jackson (Pavilion)

Yiayia: Time-perfected Recipes from Greece's Grandmothers by Anastasia Miari (Hardie Grant)

Debut Cookery Book

Winner: "A New Way to Bake: Re-imagined Recipes for Plant-based Cakes, Bakes and Desserts" by Philip Khoury (Hardie Grant)

The Art of Friday Night Dinner by Eleanor Steafel (Bloomsbury)

The Secret of Cooking by Bee Wilson (4th Estate)

Cookery Writer

Winner: Melek Erdal for work in Vittles & The Guardian

Fliss Freeborn for work in Student Cuisine for the Gloomy Teen

Ravinder Bhogal for work in Waitrose Food Magazine

Food Writer

Winner: Ajesh Patalay for work in the Financial Times

Mark Diacono for work in Abundance (Substack)

Mike Daw for work in The Independent

Restaurant Writer

Winner: Tim Hayward for work in the FT Weekend Magazine

Isaac Rangaswami for work in Vittles

Olivia Potts for work in Manchester Confidential

Programme

Winner: Sophie Grigson – Slice of Italy S2, Presenter Sophie Grigson, Series Director: Stuart Bateup, Executive Producer: Katie Lander (Finestripe Productions)

Britain’s Favourite Cheese at Christmas, narrated by Dawn French, Directors: Pete Lawrence & Amena Hasan (Hungry Gap Productions)

Junior Bake Off, Presenters: Harry Hill, Liam Charles & Ravneet Gill, Executive Producers: Oliver Manley, Kieran Smith & Letty Kavanagh, Series Producer: Charlotte Armstrong, Series Director: Nick Berry (Love Productions)

Audio

Winner: The Food Programme, Presenter: Sheila Dillon, Producer: Natalie Donovan (BBC Radio 4)

Cooking the Books with Gilly Smith, Presenter and Producer: Gilly Smith

Desert Island Dishes, Presenter: Margie Nomura, Producer: Georgie Rutherford

Photographer

Winner: Patricia Niven

Hugh Johnson

Matt Russell

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