Foodies to award best local delight

Food Hawke's Bay will hold its Signature Dish awards from 5pm tonight at a Hawke's Bay Opera House cocktail function, taking place in Hastings.

For six weeks Hawke's Bay diners have enjoyed the dishes from 37 cafes and restaurants - an unmissable event for food lovers, showcasing local delights. The dishes must have a minimum of five Hawke's Bay ingredients which can be purchased from the Hawke's Bay Farmers' Market.

This year there are three categories.

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  Formal: Dish and beverage match more than $40.
• 
  Casual: Dish and beverage match under $40.
• 
  Cafe: Dish and beverage match under $25.

Diners will decide the best food award and best service award for each category and anonymous judges will choose a winner and runner-up for each of the three categories.

Food Hawke's Bay general manager Jane Libby said there had been a lot of positive feedback from diners and eateries.

"Some restaurants have reported a real upturn in their numbers since they entered the competition," she said.