Category: Radio 4
Date: 28.10.2005
Printable version
A Scottish garlic grower, a prison chef cooking fresh healthy meals, and the man behind 'living' salads to be grown in a pot are all on the shortlist for the 91Èȱ¬ Radio 4 Food and Farming Awards 2005.
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Previous winners include the dinner lady who inspired Jamie Oliver's school meals campaign, Prince Charles' favourite B&B, and the campaigner now advising the Government on healthy eating in some of our poorest inner-city communities.
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This year's finalists will be featured on Radio 4's The Food Programme and Farming Today, and on 91Èȱ¬ Local Radio.
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Created in 2000 to celebrate the people and organisations who produce and promote the best of British food, the awards, in partnership with 91Èȱ¬ Local Radio, aim to find The Best Dinner Lady, Best Takeaway and the Farmer of The Year.
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The other awards are: Best Food Producer, Best Local Food Retailer, Best Regional or National Retailer, 91Èȱ¬ Food Personality of the Year and The Derek Cooper Special Award for Best Food Campaigner/Educator.
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The Radio 4 Food and Farming Awards 2005 take place on Thursday 24 November at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Chamberlain Square, Birmingham.
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The chair of this year's judging panel is Raymond Blanc, chef, author and proprietor of the Michelin-starred Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons.
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Raymond Blanc says of this year's awards: "One of the best things about judging this year's Food and Farming Awards has been the very high quality of the entries - so many people working so hard to make wonderful food.
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"It has been a great privilege to have the chance to go and visit these people who care passionately about local ingredients, delicious healthy food and helping keep the community spirit alive. They could all be worthy winners."
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The nominees for this year's awards are:
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91Èȱ¬ Food Personality Of The Year
Won last year by the ever-popular Rick Stein, this award is decided by listeners' votes and will be revealed on the night.
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Best Dinner Lady/'Laddie'
David Lamthong - Highshore School, Peckham, London
Al Crisci - Catering Manager, HM Prison High Down, Sutton, Surrey
Neelia Hutchins - Alice Cross Day Centre, Teignmouth, Devon
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Best Takeaway
Real Food Café - Tyndrum, Perthshire
COOK (Cookfood.net) - Sittingbourne, Kent
Rhug organic burger bar - Corwen, Denbighshire
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The Farming Today Award For Farmer Of The Year
Peter Barfoot - Barfoots of Botley, Bognor Regis, West Sussex
Glen and Gilli Allingham - The Really Garlicky Company, Auldearn, Nairn
Daniel Green - Roebuck Farm, Wareham, Dorset
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Best Food Producer
Andrew Johnson - 91Èȱ¬ Harvest Salads, Tadcaster, Yorkshire
Barnhill Apple Juice - Portadown, Northern Ireland
John Cottrell - Dairy Farmer, Wellington, Somerset
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Best Local Food Retailer
Jempson's Superstore - Peasmarsh, East Sussex
Riverside Food Market - Cardiff
J W Mettrick & Sons Ltd - Glossop, Derbyshire
Samphire - The Estate Barn, Blickling, Norwich
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Best National Or Regional Retailer
Mid Counties Co-Operative - West Midlands
Budgens with Taste of Anglia and Taste of Sussex
Waitrose
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The Derek Cooper Special Award For Best Food Campaigner/Educator
Michael Hjort & York Festival of Food and Drink
Marine Stewardship Council
Bernard Gesch & Natural Justice
Sustain
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The awards ceremony, hosted by Sheila Dillon, will feature in a special edition of Radio 4's The Food Programme on Sunday 27 November at 12.30pm, repeated on Monday 28 November at 4.00pm.
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Notes to Editors
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The Food Programme is on Radio 4 every Sunday at 12.30pm and repeated on Mondays at 4.00pm. Farming Today is on Radio 4 every weekday morning at 5.45am and on Saturdays at 6.35am. You can listen again online at www.bbc.co.uk/radio4.
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The finalists in the Farmer of the Year category will be featured on Farming Today in the week of the awards ceremony.
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There will also be a separate edition of The Food Programme on 4 December, where some of the country's top chefs will be served dinner, consisting of food produced by our award winners, and prepared by students from Birmingham College of Food.
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This year's judging panel are: Kath Dalmeny from The Food Commission; Dr. Margaret Rayman from the University of Surrey; retail analyst Robert Clark; Sheila Dillon, presenter of The Food Programme; Christine Tacon, General Manager of the Co-op's farming division, Farmcare; and the chef, writer and broadcaster Roopa Gulati.
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