01 Oct 2026
A trio of St Albans and Harpenden foodie businesses have been recognised among the best in the county in the Great Food Club Hertfordshire Awards 2026/7.
Hundreds of nominations were submitted by Great Food Club members and readers during the summer, before finalists were selected across seven categories and judges chose this year’s winners following a visit and assessment.
The Fleetville Larder in St Albans has been named Deli of the Year. Founder Ed Bevin gave up his central London corporate career to open a cheese and coffee shop after spotting a gap in his corner of St Albans. Today, the neighbourhood deli is known for its cheeses, locally sourced provisions, coffee and toasties.
In Harpenden, The Silver Cup has been named Restaurant of the Year. The family business is led by Harpenden siblings Matthew and Olivia Reeder, with Matthew heading up the kitchen and Olivia front of house.
Great Food Club judges praised its combination of outstanding food, warm service and relaxed atmosphere, as well as its impressive consistency. The restaurant is also ranked in the Top 50 Gastropubs and features in the Michelin Guide.
There was further local success for Per Tutti, which was the overwhelming winner of the People’s Choice Award, which was decided entirely by public nominations.
Run by Olga, Jovan and their team, the family restaurant group received nearly 300 nominations from customers. It has four Hertfordshire branches, including restaurants in St Albans and Harpenden.
Editor of Great Food Club Hertfordshire James Latham said: “It’s fantastic to see three businesses from St Albans and Harpenden recognised in this year’s awards.
“They’re very different businesses, but what they have in common is passionate independent owners and teams who have created places that people genuinely love to visit.
“The response to Per Tutti was particularly remarkable. Nearly 300 nominations for one business shows just how much affection there is for them among their customers.”
Great Food Club is an independent platform championing independent food and drink businesses. Its Hertfordshire recommendations are based on businesses visited and assessed by the Great Food Club team.
