ANGER OVER AWARDS' DOUBLE BOOKING

Published: 23 July, 2008

The UK's two premier awards for drinks writers, Le Prix du Champagne Lanson, and the Glenfiddich Food & Drink Awards, have caused anger among the wine-writing community by scheduling both ceremonies for the same night, Monday 17 May. Debbie Collinson, organiser of the Lanson Awards, said the situation was unfortunate, but was adamant that she had contacted the Wine Trade Diary in August last year, and had confirmed the date this January. It's either a case of a problem with the Wine Trade Diary or an unfortunate error on their part,' she said. Lindsay Stewart, director of Wilcard PR, the Glenfiddich Awards' organisers, said they had looked at the diary and had seen nothing entered on the date in question. Also, we have been on the 17, 18 or 19 May for three years now, and we are also always on a Monday so members of the on-trade can attend the ceremony. People do tend to work around us,' she said. Stewart added that wine was less central to the awards than in the past. It's about food and drink, not food and wine,' she said. Both ex-Harpers editor Tim Atkin MW and Harpers contributor Jamie Goode are shorlisted for both awards. Atkin said that the Glenfiddich Awards has agreed to announce the wine writer award first so the two of them can travel to the Lanson Awards later in the evening. I'm pissed off by the clash,' said Goode. It will certainly take away from the evening having to dash between two venues, and the clash-induced lower attendances at both won't help.'

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