Earlier this year, we launched the Daily Gazette and Essex Weekly Newspapers Food and Drink Awards.

Essex has literally hundreds of food and drink venues to choose from, and these awards gave people the chance to nominate the places they think deserve to be named the best in the county.

We invited readers to nominate their favourite places to dine before opening a vote to our readers, with dozens of Gazette editions containing a voting form – and now the results are in.

There was a total of seven different categories for the various food and drink businesses.

The awards were for the best pub, butcher and delicatessen, fish and chip shop, café and coffee shop, fine dining, European food, and Indian cuisine.

The winner in each category of the Food and Drink Awards received an outdoor vinyl banner to publicise their success and an engraved glass trophy.

Here were your winners.

The Best Pub Award was won by Robin Hood in Clacton.

The traditional inn, which is on London Road, offers what it describes as unfussy comfort food in a family-friendly traditional inn with a beer garden.

A Willsher & Son took the award for Best Butchers and Delicatessen.

As well as serving regular customers, the independent family butcher in Marks Tey supplies businesses, schools, and sporting clubs.

Owners Danielle and Craig Formoy thanked their staff Rob, Michael, Collin, Peter, Paul, Sam, Richard, and Liz, as well as all their customers.

Fish and chips is a classic British favourite, and the Golden Fillet won the coveted award for best fish and chip shop.

Owned by Lisa Cook on Frinton Road, the Golden Fillet also boasts a string of rave reviews online.

Holland-on-Sea’s Grandma Lilly’s scooped the best Café and Coffee Shop award.

Afternoon tea is a particular favourite for regulars at the family-owned tearoom, which is run by Ian Riley, Janet Dittman, Roy Dittman, Samantha Dittman and Michelle Barnard.

The Fine Dining award was won by The Bicycle, which sits a short drive off the A133 in Tendring.

Its menu includes eye-catching mains such as ox liver and char-grilled halloumi, cooked up by chef Garry Andrew.

Café Bellissimo on Wimpole Road won the European Cuisine award.

Open from 7.30am every morning and owned by Laima Trukanalte and Calogero Pagliarini, the Italian offers customers delivery as well as dine-in options.

The winner in the Indian Cuisine category was Regency Cottage, in Clacton.

Placed in the middle of the town, Regency Cottage is open until 10.00pm every day of the week.

Thank you to all our readers who voted in the Essex Weekly Newspapers Food and Drink Awards.