A family-run drinking hole has won back its crown as the best dining pub in Kent at the county’s biggest food and drink awards.

The George Inn in Molash, near Ashford, was named Kent Dining Pub of the Year at the Taste of Kent Awards.

The village boozer was among dozens of businesses given prizes at the black tie dinner at the Kent County Showground in Detling last night.

A record number of firms were nominated for this year’s awards, now in their 11th year, which are run by promotion agency Produced in Kent.

Project manager Stephanie Durling said: “The competition this year has been exceptionally close and all the judges, mystery shoppers and secret diners have had some challenging decisions to make.

“This year has again demonstrated the public’s enthusiasm for good quality Kentish produce.”

Winners included familiar names like Chapel Down (best Kentish wine) and Macknade Fine Foods (local food retailer of the year) but also a few newcomers.

Stour Valley Game (butcher or meat producer of the year), Hudson’s Fish in Herne Bay (fishmonger of the year) and Hot Face Sauces in Maidstone (food producer of the year) were all first time winners at the bash.

Ms Durling added: “The awards highlight the very finest produce the county has to offer but it is not just about celebrating great tasting food once a year.

“If we all sourced 10% of our weekly groceries from Kent producers, retailers and farmers’ markets we can help to generate over £185 million for our local economy.”

Pete Kenyon, partner at Cripps LLP, the awards’ main sponsor, said: “Tonight’s awards showcase the exceptional level of passion and skill that make up Kent’s food and drinks industry.

“We are very pleased to be supporting the awards for the fourth consecutive year and are hugely encouraged again, to see such high standards being maintained and to see the variety of local produce being grown, made, sold, sourced and served across the county.”

The full list of winners are:

Kent Butcher or Meat Producer of the Year, sponsored by Stephen’s

Winner: Stour Valley Game, Chartham

Finalists:

Court Farm, Halling

MB Farms, Stockbury

Best Kentish Beer, sponsored by Rix & Kay Solicitors

Winner: Good Health – Goody Ales, Herne

Finalists:

Gadds No.3 – Ramsgate Brewery, Ramsgate

Whitstable Bay Pale Ale – Shepherd Neame, Faversham

Best Kentish Wine, sponsored by Investaco

Winner: Bacchus – Chapel Down Winery, Tenterden

Finalists:

Ortega – Biddenden Vineyards, Biddenden

Balfour Brut – Hush Heath, Staplehurst

Kent Fishmonger of the Year, sponsored by Chapman’s of Sevenoaks Ltd

Winner: Hudson’s Fish, Herne Bay

Finalists:

Folkestone Trawlers, Folkestone

Hales & Moore, Rainham

Best Kentish Cider or Perry, sponsored by Wilkins Kennedy FKC

Winner: Wise Owl Cider – Wise Owl Cider, Ashford

Finalists:

Strong Kentish Cider – Biddenden Vineyards, Biddenden

Cheery Old Dudda – Duddas Tun, Doddington

Best Kent Juice Producer, sponsored by Kent County Council

Winner: Chegworth Valley, Harrietsham

Finalists:

Juice Executive, Maidstone

Pine Trees, Doddington

Kent Local Food Retailer of the Year, sponsored by Opies

Winner: Macknade Fine Foods, Faversham

Finalists:

Monty’s Greengrocer, Birchington

Peter’s Produce, Herne Bay

Kent Food Producer of the Year, sponsored by Shopper Anonymous Kent

Winner: Hot Face Sauces, Maidstone

Finalists:

Great Preservations, Tonbridge

Kentish Pieman, New Romney

Kent Restaurant of the Year, sponsored by Henkelman UK Ltd

Winner: The Corner House, Minster

Finalists:

The Ambrette, Margate

Wyatt & Jones, Broadstairs

Kent Dining Pub of the Year

Winner: The George Inn, Molash

Finalists:

The Kings Head, Wye

The Milk House, Sissinghurst

Kent Farmers’ Market of the Year, sponsored by Hadlow College

Winner: Aylesford

Finalists:

Capel-le-Ferne

Elm Court

Kent Food Product Category Awards, sponsored by Shepherd Neame

Winner Ambient Class: Wye Community Farm Raspberry Jam, Challock Chutney Company, Challock

Winner Specialist Drinks Class: Kent Dry Gin, Anno Distillers, Marden

Winner Dairy Class: Organic Double Cream, Silcocks Farm, Tenterden

Winner Bakery and Confectionery Class: Kent Crisps, Sea Salt Vinegar with Biddenden Cider, AMC Foods, Ramsgate

Winner Prepared Foods Class: Classic Titan Sausage Roll, Whitstable Larder, Canterbury

Winner Catering Class: Kentish Blue Cheese, Kingcott Cheese, Staplehurst

Highly Commended Bakery and Confectionery Class: Seeded Sourdough, Hemmings Bakehouse, Maidstone

Best Kent Food Product, sponsored by kff

Winner: Kent Dry Gin, Anno Distiller, Marden

Kent Countryside Award, sponsored by Kent Downs and High Weald AONBs

Winner: The Mersham Estate, Michael-John Knatchbull, Ashford

Garden of England Champions – Soft Fruit, sponsored by East Malling Research

Cherries – Zoe variety, D H Bryant and Partners, Faversham

Strawberries – Baby Jubilee variety, Hugh Lowe Farms, Maidstone

Raspberries – Glen Ample variety, Lower Ladysden Farm, Marden

Garden of England Champions – Top Fruit, sponsored by BTF Partnership

Top Apple – Jazz variety, Simon Bray, Monks Farm, Norton

Top Pear – Concorde variety, Richard and Clive Edmed, Horsmonden, Tonbridge