The Young British Foodies and the best vodka in town

At this year’s YBFs (Young British Foodies Awards) in London, guests were taken on a tantalizing food journey, tasting the inspired fare from a shortlist of the country’s most talented and passionate gastronomes. The tasting menu included Tozino‘s chorizo and chickpea stew, Dorshi‘s hake and lemon basil dumplings, Bosco and Bees‘ tomato and mozzarella pizza canapés with Parma ham, fresh figs and fennel pollen and Arancini Bros‘ leek and portobello mushroom arancini with braised chilli pork shoulder. In the sweet category, guests enjoyed Ice Palace‘s apple elderberry crumble ice cream, Fleur de Sel‘s house dark chocolate cake layered with Fleur De Sel caramel, and aromatic shortbread hearts by Pistachio Rose. The drinks were flowing throughout the evening with innovative cocktails, fresh juices and specialty beers. Though the standout spirit of the evening was Chase Vodka, a smooth tasting, potato vodka produced in Herefordshire. From the family (and potatoes) behind the posh Tyrells crisps, Chase Vodka’s first batch was produced in 2008. Alongside their original Chase Vodka, they have expanded their portfolio to now include rhubarb vodka, oak smoked vodka, apple vodka and marmalade vodka. The favorite cocktail of the night was the Marmalade Mule, a beautiful blend of Chase marmalade vodka and ginger beer on ice. Certainly, this is a quality product with the provenance and pedigree to match. So if you’re looking for a slightly off-the-beaten-track British foodie experience, take your lead from the industry experts and check out some of the 2013 YBFs mentioned above. And then be sure to wash it down with a shot of Chase vodka – you will not be disappointed. John-Christian Moquette is a Partner at IAVRA. If you would like to be a guest blogger on A Luxury Travel Blog in order to raise your profile, please contact us.