Waterfront café, Benson finalist in The Food Awards England

Waterfront Café, beside the Thames in Benson, near Wallingford, is a finalist in the Best Café/Bistro of the Year category.

It will be competing for the top prize against three other Oxfordshire venues including The Jericho Café in Oxford, Jenny's Cafe and Bistro in Bicester and Reg's Café in Banbury.

READ MORE: Brand new café ON A BOAT pops up in Oxford

(Waterfront Cafe, Benson)

Business operator of the café, Chris Pike, said it was nice to be recognised by the awards which are organised by events and marketing company, Creative Oceanic.

Mr Pike, who has been operating the family-run business for more than 30 years, said: "It's a good boost to staff morale and it's good for the company. It's really nice to know that people appreciate us.

"I think it's because we offer an experience which suits most people. We're competitive and we've also got an idyllic location."

(Credit: Ed Nix)

The café will find out if they've won at the awards ceremony on June 6 at The Mercure Manchester Piccadilly Hotel.

The Food Awards England 2022 celebrates the best in the food industry, from restaurants, chefs and servers to the specialists and suppliers.

(Waterfront Cafe, Benson)

The black-tie event aims to welcome "top professionals" of the country's food sector that provide "delicious dishes, the freshest of products and rich menus".

It will also showcase food suppliers, servers and manufacturers that take our taste buds around the world while in the comfort of England.

A spokesperson for The Food Awards England said: "England offers a wide range of places that serve world cuisines.

"The finalists were voted for by the public for providing authentic recipes and unique dishes to their diners, creating memorable experiences for both residents and visitors.

"Undoubtedly, there are some amazing specialists around the country, who know how to offer great service, delicious food and meet the expectations of their diners.

"These are the professionals that we aim to reward at The Food Awards England 2022.

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"We would like to wish all the finalists the best of luck and we can't wait to welcome all our guests and celebrate the winners with them."

(Waterfront Cafe, Benson)

Other restaurants to have been nominated in Oxfordshire were:

Gastro pub of the year

• Old Parsonage Hotel (Oxford)

Caterer of the year

• Fingers and Forks Ltd (Didcot)
• Nyama Catering (Ipsden)

Takeaway of the year

• The Paste Tree (Oxford)
• Currydor (Oxford)

Best Italian

• Pizza Calzone (Banbury)
• La Foglia – Italian Restaurant (Banbury)

Best Mediterranean

• Zigana – Turkish Kitchen  (Didcot)

Best world cuisine

• Pachangas Mexican Restaurant (Henley)
• Dorindo’s Mexican Restaurant (Abingdon)

Best vegetarian establishment

• Banana Tree Oxford (Oxford)

READ MORE: Oxfordshire finalists in The Food Awards England 2022

Best Artisan Bakery

• Gatineau Artisan Patisserie & Bakery (Oxford)

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Read more from this author

This story was written by Gee Harland, she joined the team in 2022 as a senior multimedia reporter.

Gee covers Wallingford and Didcot.

Get in touch with her by emailing: Gee.harland@newsquest.co.uk

Follow her on Twitter @Geeharland

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