DORSET’s food and drink has once again scooped awards at the Taste of the West Awards.

Food and drink producers from Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire sent in their entries hoping to be crowned the best in the West with recognition by the way of a Gold, Silver or Highly Commended award.

One Dorset producer who came out on top, fresh out of the business oven, was home-grown enterprise Bayside Bakery who scooped a Gold award for their Chocolate Orange Brownie Delight in the Sweet Bakery Class.

Katy Howell, 40, from Bridport, recently set up the business over Easter period at Bridport Market before setting up her website which offers freshly made brownies delivered to your door.

Katy said: “It’s very exciting, it’s the first time that I’ve ever done anything like it.

“I still can’t quite believe it but it’s just the boost that the business needs at that early stage which is fantastic.”

Judges said that the award winning brownies were ‘nice and fudgy with a lovely taste and a good, delicate amount of orange.’

Palmers Brewery also scooped a number of Gold awards this year including one for their Tally Ho! ale.

Darren Batten, head brewer at Palmers Brewery said: “It’s great to have our fine ales recognised by this recent batch of awards. Tally Ho! has always been popular since it was first brewed in the 1940s.

“Being an independent, family-owned brewery, Palmers are able to keep the best of the old while inventing good new ales to suit changing tastes.”

David Richards, co-owner of Dorset-based Capreolus Fine Foods and winner of one Gold and two Silver awards, spoke about their experience of the Taste of the West awards.

He said: “The Taste of the West awards programme is vitally important. The South West has an enviable reputation for high quality food and the Taste of the West Awards help to raise the profile of the food available, and keep the standards high.”

John Sheaves, chief executive of Taste of the West, said: “Through our experience of running the UK’s largest regional food and drink awards programme, we are seeking to raise the bar in terms of excellence. In this way, we know that we can offer a product to a discerning consumer market which has been thoroughly tested and evaluated.”

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