The Oxford Collection supports the Mogford Prize each year by offering a complimentary two-night stay with breakfast at one of their two five-star hotels in Oxford, the Old Bank Hotel and the Old Parsonage Hotel.

The Mogford Winner 'Stay' Prize

The luxurious stays are offered to the Mogford Prize judges, award winner, and three runner-ups, and are typically taken up on the night of the annual prize-winning ceremony and party, but can be moved to another date if necessary.

Celebration For The Contestants

Furthermore, each year, The Oxford Collection publishes the winning Mogford Prize short story and distributes a free copy in each of its 78 hotel rooms for visitors to read during their stay or take with them on their travels. This distribution exposes the author's work to a larger audience while also providing a benefit to hotel guests.

Winning Story Is Published

The Mogford Prize for Food and Drink Writing for 2021 has been announced.

He will receive a £10,000 prize as well as an engraved plaque.

Finlay Taylor of South London has been named the 2021 winner of the Mogford Prize for Food & Drink Short Story. Finlay's short fiction, 'Madame Blini's Disdain,' was chosen from 755 submissions from around the world. This year's shortlist was judged by Jeremy Mogford, the Prize's founder, and guest judges Lemn Sissay MBE, a renowned dramatist, presenter, and poet, and Mick Herron, a talented crime and thriller writer. The runners-up, who each receive a £250 prize, are Scotland-born writer Lorna Fergusson, who now lives in Oxford, for 'Mrs Esselemont's Tea; Jessica E Sinyard, a screenwriter who works in cinema, television, and videogames, for 'Black Coffee; and intellectual property lawyer Emma Teichmann for 'An Acquired Taste.' The award was created by Jeremy Mogford, owner of the Old Bank Hotel, Old Parsonage Hotel, Quod Restaurant, and Parsonage Grill, all of which are independent Oxford hotels and restaurants. Gee's Restaurant is a restaurant that he owns. Every year, Jeremy invites two judges to assist him in selecting the winner of the £10,000 prize: one writer and one food and drink journalist. In 2016, Lawrence Norfolk and Rick Stein served as judges; in 2017, Bill Bryson and Lorraine Pascale served as judges; and in 2018, Bill Bryson and Lorraine Pascale served as judges.

Biographical information about Finlay Taylor

Finlay Taylor used to be a professional stand-up comedian. He started writing in April 2020, feeling a growing pull toward fiction and with live comedy on hold due to the pandemic.

Current Work

He grew up in Oxfordshire and recalls The Old Bank, a hotel where his Scottish grandmother stayed when she came to visit. He is now based in South London, where he is working on a comic book.

Future Plans

While he wishes to be back on the road, writing prose has been a lifeline during a year of dark stages; he intends to continue regardless of whether his former world returns.