The Vine House Hotel and Restaurant at Paulerspury, south of Northampton, was named the best in the county at the glitzy 'Celebration of Northamptonshire' dinner at Althorp on Friday 9th October 2009 where the awards were presented by double Michelin-starred chef, Marcus Wareing.

Marcus Springett is the Chef at the Vine House, while Julie is 'front of house' and looks after the wine list! Great partners, they bought the 300 year old property back in 1991 and lovingly restored the limestone building, bringing in all the modern amenities you'd wish for in a 21st century hotel while maintaining the building's charm. The result, an enchanting place where it really is all about the food and the people they serve. No strangers to winning awards, they are absolutely delighted to have won this award because it really means a great deal to them to have been recognised in their own county.

Sadly, Marcus and Julie weren't at the awards ceremony in person - they had a restaurant and hotel to run(!) - so they sent Yvette James along - Could have been confusing to have two chefs called Marcus in the same room anyway!

Yvette, who accepted the ‘Restaurant of the Year’ trophy on behalf of owners Marcus and Julie Springett, rang the results through to them and said they were delighted. “Marcus and Julie are absolutely passionate about what they do – The Vine House is their life! The food, the people, the service – they’re the key ingredients in running a successful restaurant and receiving this award is proof that they’re getting it right. They’re absolutely thrilled and are looking forward to celebrating with the people of Northamptonshire!”

The awards, devised by Northamptonshire Enterprise Ltd, were aimed at celebrating excellence among the county’s eateries and to give a public pat on the back to those owners, managers and landlords who strive to offer their customers the perfect dining experience.