19 November 2007, 20:17 PM
  • The very best food and drink producers in the South West and retail and hospitality establishments were honoured at the prestigious ceremony for the Taste of the West Awards 2007, sponsored by Budgens.

Held at Forde Abbey in Somerset last week, regional food ambassador Michael Caines MBE presented a total of 19 awards including six South West Regional Hospitality and Retail awards, the coveted Champion Product Award and eleven Best of Category product awards.

One of the most successful winners is Deli Farm Charcuterie, Delabole, Cornwall, which came away with the Champion Product Award for its Coppa Air Dried Ham. Individually rubbed with a mix of salts and spices and slowly cured, each Coppa is then pressed into a natural skin and gradually air dried over a long period of time. Ruby red in colour, the same ham also won the Best of Meat category.

John Sheaves, chief executive Taste of the West, said, “The South West is renowned for its exceptional food and drink produce. The appeal of local products is higher than any other ethical alternative at the moment and that includes organic and fair trade. The food and drink industry must now face up to the market and deliver. The awards aim to provide an important quality benchmark, giving well deserved recognition and reward to those creating the very best produce and places to eat and drink in the region.”

This year’s Taste of the West Awards had a record-breaking number of entries from South West based businesses – more than 1,600 across all categories. Today’s winners therefore represent the region’s very best in produce and those retail and hospitality sectors dedicated to serving the highest quality food and drink.

South West Tea Room/Café of the Year was awarded to Muffins of Lostwithiel, Cornwall and South West Local Retail Outlet of the Year is Washingpool Farm Shop, North Allington, Dorset for selling its own quality produce, as well as that of local producers and businesses.

The Well Hung Meat Company is another successful Devon based business, securing the award for South West Online Retailer of the Year for their well-constructed, secure and easy-to-use website. The European Inn of Piddletrenthide, Dorset won South West Dining Pub of the Year title for their good food, great atmosphere, impeccable service and very good value. While Olive Farm of Somerton, Somerset, picked up the award for Best of Dairy with its Untreated Guernsey Cream.

Budgens Technical Development Controller, Jonathon Bayne, said, “The standard of entries goes up and up every year. There have been some very difficult decisions, but we’ve got some fantastic winners and some really interesting products.  Supermarket buyers and consumers are increasingly looking out for local products with a real point of interest, so winning a Taste of the West Award is really important for all sectors involved.”

Entry forms for the Taste of the West Awards, sponsored by Budgens, are sent to over 3000 food and drink producers and over 4000 hospitality and retail outlets across Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire. The Awards are judged by a panel of industry experts, chefs, restaurateurs and technical specialists who have the difficult task of choosing the winners of the coveted Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards in each of the product classes and county winners in the hospitality categories. Overall category award winners are selected from the recipients of Gold awards, announced at the ceremony. The ceremony included a meal supplied by Parkers Menu using produce from the South West of England and predominantly award winning products.