It is the biggest night in British food and drink. On Thursday 18 October, Raymond Blanc, Tom Kitchin, Florence Knight, Bruno Loubet and other celebrated chefs, restaurateurs and producers filled the chic B1 room on Southampton Row, central London, for the OFM Awards, in association with Cuisinart.

This year's winners and runners-up were voted for by a record 16,000 Observer Food Monthly readers, up an extraordinary 60% year-on-year. Among the winners were Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall for his cookbook Veg Every Day!, as well as Mitch Tonks and Mat Prowse from the Seahorse on the quay in Dartmouth, Devon, who beat off all the big-city places to scoop best restaurant.

The awards were presented by Observer columnist and critic Jay Rayner, alongside TV's Gizzi Erskine.

Also in attendance: readers' recipe award winner Rachael Wass, whose pulled pork roll was served on the night along with other delicious canapés by expert caterers Absolute Taste. Street food collective Kerb also supplied a wonderful world of food from Luardos's Mexican fish tacos to Everybody Love Love Jhal Muri Express's Bengali chaat.

The winner of the readers' cocktail award was Pete Nielsen's You Me @ Six, which is a smart twist on a negroni. It was mixed by Hawksmoor and Sipsmith who, together with Fever Tree and Nyetimber sparkling wine, provided an amazing array of delicious drinks. Camden Town Brewery supplied us with beer and Luscombe with refreshing non-alcoholic drinks.

Biggest cheer of the night went to Scottish schoolgirl Martha Payne, whose Never Seconds blog has had more than 8 million visitors and raised £120,000 in the past year to feed 10,000 children in Malawi. Food for thought for us all.