Three independent Hitchin food businesses are in the running for top honours after being shortlisted in the inaugural Great Food Club Hertfordshire Awards 2026.

Following hundreds of nominations from food lovers across the county, judges have revealed the finalists across seven categories celebrating Hertfordshire's best independent food and drink businesses.

Hitchin is represented in three categories:

• Craft & Cleaver, on Bancroft Road, has been shortlisted for Restaurant of the Year.
• Knead & Desire Bakehouse, on Churchgate Walk, is a finalist for Bakery of the Year.
• Webb's, on Churchyard Walk, has been shortlisted for Food & Drink Shop of the Year.

The awards, launched for the first time this year by Great Food Club Hertfordshire, are open exclusively to independent businesses.

Other categories include Pub of the Year, Café of the Year, Deli of the Year and Producer of the Year.

The awards follow the publication of the first Great Food Club Hertfordshire Handbook, released in January, which showcases independent restaurants, pubs, cafés, bakeries, farm shops and food producers from across the county.

Great Food Club Hertfordshire editor James Latham said: "Hertfordshire has an exceptional independent food and drink scene, and we're excited to run dedicated county awards for the first time.

"We want people to tell us about the places they love – the restaurants, pubs, cafés, bakeries, delis, shops and producers that make Hertfordshire such a good place to eat and drink."

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Unlike many public-voted awards, the winners will now be decided by Great Food Club judges, who will visit or sample every shortlisted business. Where possible, restaurants, pubs and cafés will be judged anonymously before the winners are announced in September.

The shortlist is another boost for Hitchin's thriving independent food scene, with businesses from the town making the finals across restaurant, bakery and specialist food retail categories.