The awards will become a regular feature of the annual festival in the town – which is itself proving successful in highlighting the growing food and drink industry associated with East Hampshire.

The idea of the awards is to recognise excellence through a number of categories which have been created to allow the public to pick their favourite businesses and ensure good work is rewarded.

Petersfield's restaurants and eateries enjoy an excellent reputation not only in the district but across the South – they regularly win the praise of the critics who come to run the rule over them.

Coffee shops and cafes also dominate the town centre but the awards will also make sure that takeaways and pubs are not missed out, and a special category has been created to celebrate the work of food producers in the area.

Post Series editor Graeme Moir believes the awards will become an integral part of the food festival's programme of events every year.

He explained: "The food festival is already a firm fixture on Petersfield's social calendar and its success is based on the fact that there are so many businesses which deal in the food and drink industry in the town.

"When you look around our town centre you cannot fail to see that establishments where we can eat and drink out are all around us.

"There are not many other places in Hampshire, if not across the South, which can rival our town's reputation for quality in terms of the food and drink being served.

"These awards will ensure that not only will companies be recognised for their hard work but they will mean that much more to them as it will be the public who will get to choose the winners.

"It is a great way of publicising just what the town has to offer, particularly at a time when the credit crunch is affecting all businesses at the moment, and also allowing the people of Petersfield to have their say on the overall winners."

Any business involved with food and drink can enter the awards. At this stage nominations are being sought across all of the categories – these can be nominated by business owners or members of the public.

The categories are:
Café/Coffee Shop
Pub
Restaurant
Specialist Food Retailer
Food Producer
Takeaway
Supermarket

To nominate a company you must send your nomination, along with your name, address and daytime telephone number to: Petersfield Food Awards, Post Series, 33 High Street, Petersfield, Hants, GU32 3JR. The closing date for nominations is noon on Friday, May 8.

Details of the voting stage of the competition will then be revealed in the Post on May 13 and you will be able to continue voting right up until the awards are presented during the festival on June 7.