Golden Fork honours for Shropshire food firms
Two Shropshire food businesses have been named among the top 16 in the UK.
Shropshire goats cheese maker, Brock Hall Farm, which is based near Bridgnorth, and the Ludlow Food Centre, at Bromfield, have both won a coveted Golden Fork.
Only 16 of the prestigious awards are conferred and they were presented at a glittering gala dinner in London's Royal Garden Hotel. They are considered the ultimate accolade for food producers.
The Very Important Producer Golden Fork award was sponsored by Woman and Home magazine and presented to cheese maker and business owner Sarah Hampton by the magazine's editor, Jane Curran.
The VIP Golden Fork award celebrates producers who go that extra mile to create something special.
Brock Hall Farm Dairy, near Bridgnorth, has been making a range of goats cheese for just five years.
In that short period of time, Mrs Hampton and her small team of local people have won an astounding array of national and international awards.
Mrs Hampton said: "We are elated to have won this incredible award and for our efforts to be acknowledged in this way. This Golden Fork is the culmination of all our hard work over the years."
Husband and business partner, Robert Hampton, added: "It's an incredible achievement. Out of more than 10,000 food products from all sectors, only 16 have won a Golden Fork, and we are one of them. We are immensely proud to bring this award back to Shropshire."
Ludlow Food Centre was judged to operate with knowledge, flair and with great retail discipline. It was deemed to be the best foodie retail outlet in the UK in a vote among food producers.
Edward Berry, the centre's managing director, said: "It is incredibly exciting that so many other independent producers have voted for us.
"This success indicates that other high quality, artisan businesses have benefitted from being stocked in Ludlow Food Centre. Our point of difference has always been our tremendous team's commitment to making so much of the food we sell on site.
"Our shelves and aisles display a fantastic balance between the extensive varieties we create ourselves and the exceptional products from other companies that share our values.
"My heartfelt thanks go to our team and the judges – it is a brilliant accolade."
