Launching the Taste of Dorset Awards 2009

By fcharles

We launched our Taste of Dorset Awards 2009 last week in the beautiful setting of Dorset County Museum. The museum's elegant Victorian central hall-gallery is a brilliant venue, and for many of the guests - sponsors, food producers and last year's finalists - it was their first visit to the county's fascinating and eclectic museum.

Guests were welcomed by Felicity Hedger, senior partner of Humphries Kirk Solicitors, who are the awards' principal sponsor, and who hosted the launch party.

BVM editor Fanny Charles told the gathering how successful the 2008 inaugural awards had been, thanks to the support of HK and the other sponsors. The BVM had been able to run the first Taste of Somerset Awards earlier this year, and nominations are now invited for the second Taste of Dorset Awards.

Fanny explained that there were a few changes from last year, including a class for Best Dairy, rather than Best Cheese (to recognise the range of the county's dairy industry, with wonderful ice-cream, yoghurt, cream, milk and cheese), and Best Meat Producer, rather than Best Butcher.

It was necessary, she said, to "refresh" an event like this, and the BVM was particularly keen to support and promote primary producers, like dairy and livestock farmers.

New sponsors this year include Fudges Bakery of Stalbridge, Waitrose, Cann Mills (who mill some of the flour used by the county's traditional bakers), Cornucopia, Palmers Brewery, and The Somerset Distillery.

This latter sponsor - well-known cider and cider brandy maker Julian Temperley - is a link with the Taste of Somerset Awards. Julian won Best Drinks Producer, and guests at the Taste of Dorset Awards night on 2nd September will be welcomed with a glass of one of his delicious apple-based drinks.

Goldy's Farm Shop - recently honoured by a visit from the Queen - and Honeybuns, makers of delicious gluten free cakes at Holwell, jointly won the Inspirational Food Business Award in 2008, and this year are sponsors of the award.

Other sponsors this year are Harts of Stur, who will be providing the goodie bags for guests at the awards night, and C&S Meats of Holnest, whose contribution will include expert judging for the meat class.

A word (or two) from our sponsors - starting with our principal sponsor, Humphries Kirk Solicitors ...

The indomitable John Mortimer once said: "I refuse to spend my life worrying about what I eat. There's no pleasure worth foregoing just for an extra three years in the geriatric ward."

I'm with John! Or at least I will be when it comes to sampling the wares of the finalists for this year's Taste of Dorset Awards. My goal is simple. To sample as much as I can and forego any extension in the geriatric ward.

The amazing thing for most of us is that we only ever see (and taste) how great the food and drink is or how fantastic the staff are; what we often miss is the amazing story behind the scenes; the struggle businesses go through in trying to share their passion for food or drink. These might be the best food and drink producers in Dorset but they are also some of Dorset's best businesses.

This is where Humphries Kirk Solicitors get involved. We help businesses in a number of ways. We help ensure that they have the right company structure for their business, appropriate terms of business, ensure that they have supplier contracts and employment contracts, all of those things that help protect business when things go wrong. Let's face it, in today's more regulated world things can and do go wrong.

For now, I'm more concerned about the awards and nominating my favourite foodie – I shall be out getting a taste of Dorset, be sure to get yours!

Richard Cossey, Humphries Kirk Solicitor marketing manager

Blackmore Ltd is delighted to be involved in the Taste of Dorset Awards. We have worked with the organisers Blackmore Vale Media for over 30 years printing all of their titles, and are especially excited to have been asked to sponsor one of the awards for Taste of Dorset. As an environmentally-friendly and community-conscious, we encourage sourcing local products or services, so supporting local food heroes and eateries is a perfect fit!

The category we are sponsoring is Best Independent Food Shop – Blackmore Ltd is very proud to be an independent printer based in Dorset and appreciates the frustration many independent retailers feel with food importers and manufacturers. We are very happy to sponsor this category as it endorses everything we believe in and look forward to digesting our way through the entries for the Best Independent Food Shop.

Cann Mills supports the Taste of Dorset Awards.

The lush Dorset countryside is ideally suited to dairy farming and for centuries has produced superb quality milk, creams, butters and cheeses. If for reasons of worldwide commercialisation this unique farmland was 'forced' into alternative use it is highly unlikely the cows would ever return. This would be a huge loss to Dorset as well as being another step in losing our regional specialities throughout the country (and beyond).

Supporting the local dairy farmer is clearly an ideal way of reducing 'food miles' as well as preserving some of our Dorset heritage. Buying our food from small independent regional outlets supports the local economy and not the shareholders of global corporations, it also preserves choice for our future generations.

As flour millers we have close association with dairy farmers throughout the county. Most are mixed farms and many grow quality milling wheat which we are able to source for our flour production. As a by-product of making white flour we are left with 'wheatfeed' - the outer layer of the grain, this is a valuable and nutritious food source and gets fed to local cattle which as well as producing milk also creates manure to help feed the growing wheat. A truly local and sustainable food cycle!

With a fresh, inventive spirit, Cornucopia Event Hire provides fine china, elegant cutlery and crystal glassware to complement the best tastes of Dorset.

Being involved again this year with the Taste of Dorset Awards is a unique opportunity for Cornucopia to support local businesses that, with great commitment, create a huge variety of unusual and inspiring flavours.

With a Distinction from the Inchbald School of Design, owner Libby Riggs puts flair for creativity and detail into Cornucopia which mirrors the excellence and dedication of the dairy producers of Dorset. Cornucopia's belief is that a reception, party or event should look as mouth-watering as the food itself.

From a polo match on Sandbanks Beach to weddings at Lulworth and Sherborne Castles to corporate and themed events in stately homes, marquees and barns, Cornucopia supplies superior quality tableware for all catering needs. Tailored to the client's wishes, an event planning service is also available.

Working with a wide variety of Dorset caterers as well as private clients, Cornucopia offers an exceptional and personal service and insists on taking all tableware away dirty so there is no washing up to do!

Cornucopia Event Hire is proud to be presenting the best Dorset dairy foods on the cream of Dorset's tableware.

www.cornucopiaevent hire.com 01258 880066

The Dorset County Show is thrilled to be sponsoring the Best Local in 2009. Bringing together our ideals of local food, drink and company, all of which can be enjoyed at this year's Dorset County Show. We are proud to be hosting the awards again this year in our Members Pavilion at the Dorchester Showground. Rewarding local food heroes from across Dorset is an endeavour we are delighted to be associated with.

We hope that all the readers of Blackmore Vale Magazine will vote for their favourites and we look forward to seeing you at the Dorset County Show on the 5th and 6th September 2009.

Fudges, the third generation family run Dorset bakery business is delighted to be sponsoring The Best Local Food, Town or Village category in the Taste of Dorset Awards.

Fudges' passion for Dorset matches its passion for biscuits. Immensely proud of the company's Dorset roots, Fudges will wherever possible source all its ingredients locally, with all the cheese and butter sourced from within a thirty mile radius of its Stalbridge base.

Fudges bakery dates back to 1926 when Percy Fudge (great grandfather of the current Managing Director Steve Fudge)

established his business with the aim of providing outstanding service whilst making award-winning baked goods.

Today, building on Percy's foundations, Fudges carries an extensive range of products, producing both sweet and savoury biscuits and seasonal goods, always using only the finest ingredients.

Whether it's melt-in-the-mouth Cheddar Wafers or delicate Chocolate Florentines, there is a Fudges biscuit to suit every taste or occasion. The Biscuits for Cheese Selection or Cheddar Topped Cheese Straws are just perfect for dinner parties and for afternoon tea, the Ginger Stem Biscuits, hand-dipped in Belgian dark chocolate, are quite superb.

Today Fudges is one of Dorset's great business success stories, with the range now stocked at supermarkets and independent stores nationwide. For more information please visit www.fudges.co.uk

The team at Hall and Woodhouse is very proud to be sponsoring the category of Best Artisan Baker.

The link between brewing and baking is too strong to be missed. Similar to a brewer, a baker takes time to formulate the best recipes, this involves dedication and hard work however the end result for both these craftsman far out ways the effort and time taken to find perfection!

The perfect pint of ale is as rewarding as the perfect loaf of bread – both are irresistible when mastered!

The brewing team at Hall & Woodhouse has spent years perfecting recipes in order to come up with the fine repertoire ales that are available nationally today. Much the same as traditional bakers we are a family business, now being run by the fifth generation.

Locally generated, fresh produce is a fantastic ingredient in today's society. So many products are sourced from far afield that it is very rare we can enjoy something made in Dorset. The Blackmore Vale's Taste of Dorset Awards has really recognised this. It is rewarding for those of us who achieve success, and we are proud to be part of that by sponsoring this competitive category!

Sheila and Ron Clarke of Lagan Farms at Gillingham are again sponsoring the Taste of Dorset Awards. This year they have chosen the category of Best Drinks Producer.

With a passionate and lifelong commitment to supporting traditional and native breeds, they are delighted to support the BVM's awards which celebrate the best of Dorset's food and drink businesses.

At Park Farm, on the outskirts of Gillingham, Ron and Sheila rear rare breed cattle - Irish Moiled, Red Poll, the beautiful British White and Dexter - as well as Wiltshire Horn and Romney sheep.

And there is no need to worry about food miles - the Clarkes sell their meat at their own Lagan Farm Shop at Orchard Park Garden Centre, just a few yards from their farm.

Customers can enjoy wonderful meat - and the added satisfaction of knowing that they are helping to save some of Britain's wonderful traditional breeds. Many indigenous breeds nearly died out after the Second World War, but farmers like the Clarkes have helped to save them – in the case of the Irish Moiled cattle, literally from the brink of extinction.

Sheila and Ron are looking forward to meeting some of the county's best drinks producers and to sampling their wares – whether they are beer, wine, cider or fruit juice.

Email them at ron@laganfarms.co.uk

www.laganfarms.co.uk

Palmers Brewery is situated in Bridport in the heart of The Jurassic coast in southwest Dorset. Britain's only thatched brewery, has been sited on the banks of the River Brit since 1794, which is on the southern edge of Bridport, a bustling market town.

Cleeves Palmer said: "At Palmers we are very pleased to offer five high quality cask ales and at present demand is very buoyant. Sales are very encouraging in both our highly individual tenanted pubs and through our free trade customers, that we supply direct from the brewery right across the south of England. Palmers Wine Store, adjacent to The Brewery sells over 800 wines in addition to our draught and bottled ales.

We were delighted to be the Taste of Dorset's Best Drinks Producer in 2008 and we very much wanted to be involved and support the Taste of Dorset in 2009 and we are pleased to be sponsoring the best Farm Shop category. We feel that these businesses are adding so much to the individuality of British retailing. Farm shops and their staff are passionate about the quality and source of their produce and the increase in trade that these shops have enjoyed in recent years illustrates the fact that many of us far prefer this style of shopping experience compared to shopping in the huge multi-national retailers - put simply, farm shops range and quality is without compare."

Summer Lodge Country House Hotel, Restaurant & Spa, nestling in the unspoilt village of Evershot, is delighted to be involved in the Taste of Dorset Awards. Part of the Red Carnation collection of boutique hotels, it sponsored the award for Best Food Producer in 2008 and this year is sponsoring the award for Best Dining Pub.

Charles Lotter, general manager at Summer Lodge, says: "These awards are close to our heart - the team here are passionate about using the best local produce to give guests a culinary experience par excellence."

Head chef Steve Titman has been awarded 3 AA Rosettes and the restaurant was named Dorset Restaurant of the Year 2007 in the Dorset Business Awards.

His current menu features Lyme Bay scallops, Portland crab, line-caught Portland sea bass, fillet of Casterbridge beef, roast loin of Dorset lamb and a selection of excellent local cheeses, so there's very definitely a strong local theme throughout.

"We thought it was appropriate to sponsor the award for Best Dining Pub," says Charles Lotter. "Our guests invariably dine with us in the evening, but many like to get out and about during the day. We're always keen to recommend good local places!"

Waitrose Gillingham are very pleased to be sponsoring the Best Seafood Business award for 2009. As a responsible retailer, we understand the challenges in offering customers the highest quality and widest choice of fish, whilst ensuring all our fish is caught using only the most responsible fishing methods from both sustainable and traceable stocks.

The Best Seafood Business category covers not only fish retailers, but fish and chip shops and fish restaurants selling locally sourced fish and fishermen using sustainable fishing methods.. Sponsoring this category will provide us with an exciting challenge due to the diversity of the businesses involved, along with the number of high calibre nominations in the area. I am sure the job of trying to choose only one winner will prove extremely difficult.

We look forward to going out and meeting the finalists, and seeing for ourselves how they are meeting the challenges faced by us all at the moment, whilst continuing to promote and support the local fish industry. Despite the potential diversity of the nominations, all businesses aim to deliver in similar areas - quality produce, priced competitively with exceptional customer service standards.

For more information on Waitrose fishing policies, please visit www.worldwithoutfish.com

Weymouth & Portland Catering Show is supporting one of the new categories.

What a mouth watering opportunity - to search for Dorset's Best Cafe or Tea Room, says show director Anna Wallis.

Our belief in Dorset, its image and the 'welcome' is a long held passion. As organisers of two hospitality trade shows within the county, we believe that the tea room and cafe is synonymous with Dorset and our way of life. Whether it's a walk in the countryside followed by a cream tea, a shopping trip with a chance to meet up with friends for a fancy coffee or somewhere you can watch the world go by over a pot of tea and some Dorset apple cake.

The Weymouth & Portland Catering Show wants operators to raise their game, and these awards can only help towards that goal.

Show director Anna Wallis says: "In a highly competitive market, consumers face an abundance of choice when choosing where to eat out. Even though we face a tough year with the credit crunch, cafes and tea rooms have the edge over expensive restaurants. How do you stand out from the crowd, keep your customers coming back to you and position yourself above your competitors?"

We will be inviting the 'cafe and tea room' finalists to visit and get involved with the Weymouth & Portland Catering Show during 20-21 October 2009, at the Redlands Community Sports Hub near Weymouth.

To taste, touch, smell and see the action plus meet 100 suppliers to the hospitality industry in October visit www.hotel-expo.co.uk/weymouth or call 01425 485040.