DON’T miss out on the chance to enter the Taste of the West Awards 2016

The awards, which celebrate the best produce from across the South West region, will return in the New Year, with new categories.

Until the end of December producers and growers can get an early bird discount on entry to the 2016 awards.

The ever popular awards saw 1,000 products entered for consideration at the 2015 awards.

Panels of experts evaluated each product individually, assessing its appearance, aroma, texture, packaging and most importantly its taste.

The 2015 results revealed 264 Gold, 227 Silver and 134 Highly Commended Awards given to more than 300 producers throughout the South West. All the judges were very impressed with the quality and above all the consistency at such a high level of production within the industry and they are hoping the 2016 awards will be just as exciting.

The awards have launched a new class for 2016 - Children’s Food. The class is targeted at any food or drink product, be it a ready meal, a snack, a dessert or a soft drink that is produced for either young children or babies.

John Sheaves, Chief Executive of Taste of the West, said: “I am delighted with this initiative. There is a lot of attention at the moment on healthy eating and how we encourage our children to eat a balanced diet.

“At Taste of the West, we want to encourage this move and want to inspire the industry to respond to this growing challenge to produce top quality food and drink with integrity and provenance which is also a healthy option for our children.”

Last month, Taste of the West was “delighted” to announce a new partnership with Rangemoor and Hearth & Cook, with the leading range cooker and stove supplier becoming the Title Sponsor of the 2016 Taste of the West Awards.

The 2016 Hospitality and Retail Awards are also now open for entries.

The hospitality category is open to cafes, tea rooms, restaurants and hotels and the retail category is open to farm shops, butcher’s shops, delis and online retailers.

A spokesman for the awards said: “In 2016, we have created a brand new category for Hotels (with six rooms or more) to differentiate larger establishments from smaller, traditional Bed & Breakfasts. Also in 2016, all Gold winners will go forward to enter the new overall award of No 1 Place to Go.”

For more details on how to enter the awards and early bird entry offers visit tasteofthewest.co.uk.