Welcome to the Ox In A Box Food Awards 2022 and here is the Out of the Box category, listed in alphabetical order: Support them by voting for your favourite!

It’s a new category this year, but perhaps the most important, and recognises the amazing lengths our local hospitality industry went to, to not only survive but excel during the pandemic. The out of the box thinking was impressive, inspiring to watch and deserves recognition.

The awards will be held on Sunday February 27 at the Old Fire Station in Oxford, sponsored by Goldstar Recruitment and Thomas Franks, and attended by Raymond Blanc, where the top three nominations from each category will be invited to the glittering ceremony and the winners will be announced.

1)215, Summertown – Could only manage a few tables outside, but made up for it with the sheer calibre of their incredible takeaways during lockdown. It meant that Paul Welburn’s cooking could be enjoyed from the safety of your own home and the attention to detail was second to none. VOTE HERE: https://surveyhero.com/c/7itc434i

215

2) Abingdon Arms, Beckley â€“ worth booking for the views alone! An elegant terrace frames Otmoor as far as the eye can see. Throw in some lovely food and this community pub is a must! VOTE HERE: https://surveyhero.com/c/7itc434i

The Abingdon Arms

3) Anchor, Jericho â€“ Added this incredible Bedouin Tent plus covered, heated areas, lounge seating and some really toasty fire pits which combined with a menu which worked really well outside was unsurprisingly really popular. VOTE HERE: https://surveyhero.com/c/7itc434i

The Anchor in Jericho

4) Branca, Jericho really pushed the boat out to create a wonderful Italianate courtyard and terrace to accompany the stunning food. VOTE HERE: https://surveyhero.com/c/7itc434i

The Branca garden

5) Black Horse, Standlake â€“ has demonstrated how to excel at the whole indoor/outdoor transformation perfectly, providing the perfect arena to meet and eat the fine food. VOTE HERE: https://surveyhero.com/c/7itc434i

The Black Horse, Standlake

6) Cinnamon Stick, Middle Barton â€“ There’s something about eating Middle-Eastern mezze in a proper souk tent which is exactly what you can do now thanks to their extensive redecoration scheme. VOTE HERE: https://surveyhero.com/c/7itc434i

The Cinnamon Stick outdoor area

7) Handlebar, Oxford â€“ one of Oxford’s quirkiest and most beloved cafes, has been working hard to ensure you can still enjoy its bohemian food outside on St Michael’s Street in the new little booths and tables. Cafe culture at its best. VOTE HERE: https://surveyhero.com/c/7itc434i

Handlebar outside

8) Hollybush, Witney – Its luxurious dining chalets in the pub garden are perfect for a private, separate, safe, sophisticated, novel and unique experience dining. VOTE HERE: https://surveyhero.com/c/7itc434i

Hollybush Dining House

9) Jericho Cafe, Jericho â€“ thanks to the new city council scheme this wonderful, independent cafe can now spill out onto the pavement down the side and serve its wonderful brunches, coffees, lunches, cakes and teas. VOTE HERE: https://surveyhero.com/c/7itc434i

The new space outside Jericho Cafe

10) KazBar and Cocos – Cowley Road â€“ (see main pic) Now that Dawson Street has been pedestrianised you can dine outside via Coco’s by day and KazBar by night. Clinton Pugh’s delicious Mediterranean brunches and lunches can be followed by a Moroccan tapas evening feast. You can’t book so just turn up and enjoy. VOTE HERE: https://surveyhero.com/c/7itc434i

The outdoor dining at Cafe Coco and Kazbar

11) Kingham Plough, Kingham â€“ created a covered dining area almost like an entirely separate restaurant. What pandemic? VOTE HERE: https://surveyhero.com/c/7itc434i

The new marquee outside seating area at The Kingham Plough

12) Medley, Binsey – Oxford’s newest riverside bar and beer garden was built from scratch and only works outdoors. Pop up food trucks keep you feed so that you can sit back, relax and enjoy the view. VOTE HERE: https://surveyhero.com/c/7itc434i

The Medley views are hard to beat

13) Milkshed – Weston On The Green â€“ Owner Lucie Ellis built three beach-style huts called Erin, Alex, and Den on site each which offer a table for up to 6 people to protect you from the wind and rain! Their new picnic menus were an added bonus. VOTE HERE: https://surveyhero.com/c/7itc434i

The Milkshed

14) Oxford City Council – Provided new funding and grants to help restaurants, cafes and pubs open outdoor seating areas across Oxford in April last year. Businesses were also allowed to open outside seating areas on pavements wide enough to accommodate tables and chairs. This included George Street, Cornmarket, Broad Street, Dawson Street, North Parade and more. VOTE HERE: https://surveyhero.com/c/7itc434i

George Street’s pedestrianised seating

15) Plough 38, Oxford – its new seating area outside transformed life in Oxford’s city centre both in winter and summer with tables outside the front and up the side of the historic pub full of bustling diners and drinkers. VOTE HERE: https://surveyhero.com/c/7itc434i

The Plough at 38 in Oxford city centre

16) Quod, Oxford â€“ CoveredTerrace â€“ Quod re-erected their much-applauded 20th anniversary party cover over their Italian Garden Terrace to keep out the worst of the English weather while still providing an elegant dining area. VOTE HERE: https://surveyhero.com/c/7itc434i

The Quod terrace

17) Rusty, East Oxford – provided a real community buzz with its amazing garden and eating sheds. Throw in the moreish pizzas and burgers and we were so there! VOTE HERE: https://surveyhero.com/c/7itc434i

The Rusty Bicycle

18) Scenic Supper, Cotswolds – A brand new concept – glasshouse dining with a view – which had people flocking from far and wide. Head chef Samuel Idione’s five course dinners helped, Genius! VOTE HERE: https://surveyhero.com/c/7itc434i

Scenic Supper

19) Waterfront Cafe, Benson â€“ Made a massive effort to ensure we could still enjoy their food and cafe on their vast outside covered decking area, with newly installed additional outside heaters and roof for extra cover. VOTE HERE: https://surveyhero.com/c/7itc434i

Waterfront Cafe

20) White Hart Fyfield – Really went to town with a new orangery, as well as an extensive garden with outdoor kitchen and pizza oven, it’s now got it all going on – from fine dining to something more casual. VOTE HERE: https://surveyhero.com/c/7itc434i

White Hart Fyfield by night

21) White Hart Wytham – The new observatory was a mammoth construction project but bookings poured in to make sure we were fed and watered in style. The outdoor pods are also available within the new space which covers the whole of the courtyard giving you a varied and luxurious choice of dining options. VOTE HERE: https://surveyhero.com/c/7itc434i

The White Hart in Wytham

22) White House, Abingdon Road â€“ opened its outside doors for the first time on April 12 and transformed a large section of the existing car park into a covered beer garden with bright, colourful tables, lots of plants and greenery and the longest bike rack in Oxford. VOTE HERE: https://surveyhero.com/c/7itc434i

The White House on Abingdon Road’s covered outdoor space

23) White Rabbit, Oxford â€“ having extended its outside area to include the cobbled access behind the Playhouse and adding a covered outdoor area with heated seats, it’s now the perfect place for a pizza and a pint, as well as providing a picturesque retreat in central Oxford. VOTE HERE: https://surveyhero.com/c/7itc434i

The beer garden at The White Rabbit

To find out more about the food awards, sponsored by Goldstar Recruitment and Thomas Franks, being held on Sunday February 27 at the Old Fire Station in Oxford click here : https://www.oxinabox.co.uk/the-ox-in-a-box-food-awards-returns-with-raymond-blanc-to-recognise-oxfordshires-incredible-hospitality-industry-get-voting/ and keep voting every day for all 12 categories!

You can vote once in each category!