Finalists Velvet Food & Drink Award

Three of the best restaurants in Cambridge

This year, Velvet Magazine decided to double up its popular Velvet Food & Drink Awards. So, the 2025 awards weren’t only held in Cambridgeshire, but also in Suffolk. There were some pretty strong contenders, which made it a challenging task for the industry-expert judges.

Cambridgeshire’s awards ceremony took place at Childerley Hall on June 23 and will be covered in the August magazine.

I am proud to be part of this exciting event this year judging the best restaurant of the year

About the 2025 restaurant finalists

The three finalists for the best restaurant in Cambridgeshire were chosen by the public. The restaurants with the most nominations were shortlisted and the winner was chosen by an independent, industry-expert judge. I was honoured to be asked to join the team of judges for the Best Cambridgeshire Restaurant award. After I accepted my role, I realised that this was going to be a difficult task since I not only work closely together with the local restaurant scene, but a frequented visitor too.

The finalists in the restaurant category were Amelie Restaurant at Ben’s Yard in Ely, The Fin Boys on Mill Road in Cambridge, and the Gonville Kitchen at the Gonville Hotel in Cambridge. With all three restaurants, I have a strong connection as a diner. This made making a choice even more difficult.

How did I judge the restaurants?

A good dining experience is not only about the food and drink. It’s about the right balance of atmosphere, service and the menu choices. However, it is also about sustainability, creativity, consistency and locally sourced produce or even better, farm-to-table.

All three restaurants excelled in sustainability and the use of locally sourced produce, which is excellent!

What were my favourite dishes at the finalists? Three very different creations, but all of them were delicious. They are in the posts below.

Amelie Restaurant at Ben’s Yard – Salt baked kohlrabi and Sauteed Gnocchi

Amelie at Ben’s Yard in Ely

The idea of Amelie started when Regis took Alex to the Alsace, a frequent stop for father and son halfway between England and Switzerland where Alex was studying. Each night they enjoyed Flammekueche, a mega-thin flatbread often topped with crème fraiche, bacon, onions, and cheese. Though it resembled pizza, its taste was far superior. It was during these visits that they decided to one day create a restaurant brand specialising in Flammekueche. Finally in August 2018, they opened their first restaurant in the Grafton Centre in Cambridge. Unfortunately, this has closed now, but they opened a cafe and a restaurant at Ben’s Yard in Ely expanding the menu at the same time with pastries and sandwiches at their cafe and a small plates, mains and desserts at the restaurant. They recently opened a pop up restaurant at Wyken Vineyards.

Before Amelie, Regis had established The Great House, Mariners and Maison Bleue restaurants in Suffolk, among other ventures. I was a frequent guest at the Great House in Lavenham from 2003 to 2008, and I cherish many happy memories.

The Fin Boys – Brown Shrimp, Wild Asparagus and Miso-Yuzu-Chilli

The Fin Boys on Mill Road in Cambridge

Established in Spring 2021, the Fin Boys aim to champion British fish caught from day boats, where they work with some of the country’s best suppliers who share their values of quality, sustainability, knowledge, and the welfare of the fishing communities. The creators behind the Fin Boys are Richard Stokes and Ray Chrimshaw, who have both worked for many years in the industry and Ray is also know for his food trucks, Guerilla Kitchen.

I met Richard and Ray for the first time at the Three Horseshoes in Madingley when Richard owned this pub and Ray was the head chef. My favourite dishes were the Asian inspired ones. Richard learned the tricks from Charles Phan at The Slanted Door in San Francisco, where he worked on stage. His love of travel also inspires his cuisine. My favourite dishes at the Fin Boys are the Asian inspired dishes. If you haven’t had their prawn toast yet, you have to make a beeline for it as it is one of the best you will ever have!

The Gonville Kitchen – Cod ballotine and Wild garlic Velouté

The Gonville Kitchen in Cambridge

The Gonville Kitchen Cambridge is situated in a stunning location overlooking Parker’s Piece and adjacent to their restaurant, where a beautiful, hidden garden is open during the summer.

Their new Head Chef, Zack Bunker, took over the reins last February. He began his journey as an apprentice at the Gonville Hotel eight years ago, when the restaurant was known as Cotto, owned by the locally well-known chef Hans Schweitzer. After working alongside incredible chefs and refining his skills in various kitchens, he’s thrilled to be back.

Zack’s style can be best described as a focus on British and Mediterranean flavours, aiming to present dishes crafted to the highest standard. Hans Schweitzer was always one of my favourite Cambridge Chefs, and I am pleased that Zack has had the opportunity to work with him over the years.

The Velvet Food & Drink Award 2025

And the winner is – Fin Boys

As mentioned earlier, it was a difficult choice as all three restaurants have their own character and the teams are excellent in what they do, but there can only be one winner!

The restaurant, which excelled in consistency and creativity, was the winner for me.

Congratulations to the team of the Fin Boys! To quote Jay Rayner, ” inventive cooking and serious good ingredients!”

The winners of the Velvet Food & Drink Awards

Velvet Food and Drink Awards

Find out more about Velvet and their food awards in the link below.

Gerla

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