Star comment: It's sweet success for Shropshire at fine food awards
The news that Shropshire's food producers have swept the board at the food industry's Oscars comes as no surprise. The county has long held a reputation for excellence in food and drink and its success in the Great Taste Awards is another feather in its cap.
Shropshire's emergence as a county of gastronomic excellence began almost two decades ago. A Shrewsbury restaurant scooped a Michelin star, which put the county on the map.
At the turn of the millennium, Ludlow became the brightest star in the firmament. The Michlein Guide gave three of its restaurants a star and one a Bib Gourmand. Nobody had ever seen anything like it.
Further successes have followed and Shrewsbury's restaurant scene is presently among the most vibrant and dynamic in the UK.
See also: Shropshire producers win top fine food accolades
Producers, are at the heart of Shropshire's continued success. The county is blessed to have bakers who rise at 3am to make fresh bread. It has dairy farmers and goatherd's who keep flocks of rare breed animals and work around the clock to make delicious cheeses.
It has entrepreneurial foodies who scour the world for the best chocolate beans and import them right to our doorstep. It has bacon curers who know how to apply just the right amount of oak smoke to make the perfect rasher.
Those artisans make the raw ingredients upon which chefs rely. They are at the heart of the county's reputation. Their achievements are celebrated at the Ludlow and Shrewsbury food festivals and other smaller events.
Remarkably, however, the best may yet be to come. Though Shropshire no longer boasts the number of Michelin stars it once did, it has a higher number of artisan producers than ever.
One of the Great Taste Award winners, Sarah Hampton, from Brock Hall Farm Dairy, near Bridgnorth, won a record three gold awards. No other British cheesemaker achieved such a feat. Her achievement is remarkable; for the past two years she has been ranked among the top 50 food producers in the UK.
Shropshire is a relatively small county. Yet when it comes to food and drink, it takes on the big boys and beats them at their own game. Hard-work, commitment and passion have put the county on top. And there's every reason to believe the success will continue.
