March 19th 2008

And the winner for the Ready Meals category at the Ideas to Dine For! 2008 is... The Fresh Pasta Company!

Ideas to Dine For! is a competition designed to find the very best products in Britain, to be showcased at the Food & Drink Expo in Birmingham NEC April 6–9.

The Fresh Pasta Company won the Ready Meals category at the Ideas to Dine For! competition with its Handmade Artichoke Heart Tortelloni: "Full of artichoke heart flavour, visually enticing with bits and pieces of artichoke present on the first bite, all wrapped by hand in silky pasta", describes Ernesto Paiva, NPD Chef at The Fresh Pasta Company.

An expert panel of independent judges (including buyers from retail and foodservice) select winning products from 12 different categories.

Last competition (2006) winners included:
The Fresh Pasta Company, Burts Potato Chips, Chegworth Valley Juices, Columbine Cakes, The Kitchen Guru, Steenbergs Organic, Lyme BayWinery, Spanks, Aconbury Sprouts, Toppenrose Dairy, Pieminister, and Inverawe Smokehouses.

“The competition is a great way to promote the UK food industry, especially regional food and drink. It is important to recognise businesses with real passion, energy and drive and their products demonstrate a commitment to innovative and industry standards,” Jean-Christophe Novelli 2006 Judge

The 2008 Judging Panel consisted of industry experts, food writers & journalists. These passionate food and drink enthusiasts are in a constant search for the very best innovative products in the UK. Judges for the 2008 competition:
• Silvana Rowe: TV Chef & Executive Chef Baltic
• Ross Shonhan: Head Chef Zuma Restaurant
• Zelda Cassie: Buyer at Waitrose
• Nick Vadis: Exec Chef Compass Group UK & IRE
• Steve Higginson: MD, WintarBotham Darby
• Sally Shore: Editor, The Restaurant Magazine
• Nicola Mallett: Editor, Speciality Magazine
• Stephan Scomka: The Grocer Magazine
• David Mulcahy: Food Develop. Director, Sodexho
• Neil Felton: Exhibitions Director, William Reed
• Ray Lorimer: Executive Chef Unilever
• Vanessa Berridge: BBC Good Food Magazine

Food & Drink Expo is the UK’s best attended food exhibition and will feature more than 600 exhibitors, 11 regional food groups, and 11 international pavilions plus a host of overseas exhibitors, as well as the series of special features.

Visit The Fresh Pasta Company (stand no. J240) at the Food & Drink Expo NEC, Birmingham April 6 – 9

Further information on: www.foodanddrinkexpo.co.uk

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