The owners of the Green Yard Café in Bridport are celebrating winning a Taste of the West Gold Award.

Sisters Elizabeth McNeice and Beverley Capewell said they were delighted with the award, adding that since the cafe opened in 2005 it has gone from strength to strength.

In 2006 they won the silver award, followed up in 2008 with a win in the Taste of the West Best Cafe/Tearoom of the Year.

The Green Yard is a family run café/tearoom that uses locally sourced produce to create seasonal meals, soups, English breakfasts and desserts. Virtually all the food is prepared on site, from the biscotti treats served with Fairtrade organic coffee to the vegetarian tarts.

Beverley said that the cafe’s success is also linked to the positive impression and community spirit of the workplace.

“The Green Yard is very friendly and we’ve got a big local following as well as return visits from the holidaymakers who love sitting in our courtyard garden for afternoon tea,” she said.

Elizabeth added that the Green Yard had had ‘an exceptional year’ and customers appreciated the seasonal menu changes and the efforts to source their produce from within the county.

“We do get a lot of compliments because it’s not until you taste Denhay bacon, Coastal Cheddar cheese, homemade ice cream or coffee made with organic milk that you get a comparison.

“The award is also a tribute to the quality of our Dorset suppliers.”