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The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall presented accolades to Britain’s food heroes yesterday at the BBC Radio 4 Food and Farming Awards. Award winners ranged from a school cook who holds butchery classes for pupils to the owners of a takeaway restaurant inspired by meals served on the streets of Mumbai. The winner in the best dinner lady or man category was John Rankin, of Penair Secondary School in Truro, Cornwall and The Duchess presented Mr Rankin with his award.
Mr Rankin served game pie and fresh mackerel to pupils, with the number of children taking school dinners rising from 30 to 300 in the past two years. Mr Rankin said of his award: "I think it's more for the kids than it is for me.I love it - seeing the kids realise where their food comes from and watching them plant and harvest it later." Their Royal Highnesses have a strong interest in food, and are keen supporters of local sourcing and British farmers. The Prince is a farmer and runs the Duchy Home Farm on an organic basis. In a speech The Prince described the winners as "real heroes and heroines, who are creating food with a story to tell". He added that there had been a "truly remarkable resurgence" of Britain's food culture over the last 10 years. But he warned people were creating problems by "treating food as an easy commodity rather than a precious gift from nature". Among the celebrities at the event at the BBC's Broadcasting House in Central London were chefs Raymond Blanc and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, and cheese-maker and Blur bassist, Alex James. Best takeaway was won by the Thali Cafe in Bristol. Owner Sidharth Sharma sources ingredients from a nearby farm and also issues customers with their own reusable "tiffin boxes" to take away the vegetarian food from the Indian restaurant. He was inspired by the Dabbawallahs, who serve meals in metal containers on the streets of Mumbai. Mr Sharma said: "We just didn't want to go down the usual route of foil and leaking plastic," he added. "The award is recognition of all the things we've been trying to do. Paddy and Sue Ryan won Best Local Food Retailer for their family-run butcher's, A Ryan & Son in Much Wenlock in Shropshire. Produce is sourced from within a five-mile radius and the shop produces more than 40 different pies in its kitchen. Mr Ryan said: "It's a great privilege. "We never expected to be put forward for something like this. We keep our heads down and beaver away out in the sticks. It's a traditional, honest butcher shop with home cooking." Julian Temperley won the Special Judges' Award for his Somerset Cider Brandy Company in Martock, in Somerset. Other winners included the Trealy Farm Charcuterie in Mitchel Troy in Monmouth and Farmer of the Year, Andrew Dennis, of Woodlands Organic Farm, in Boston, Lincs. TV chef Nigel Slater won the BBC Food Personality of the Year category, saying that his food writing was "all done in the morning on two espressos". Raymond Blanc, Chairman of the judging panel, said: "We are beginning to reconnect with our food again - these awards are proof of that." |
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