THE focus was on Dorset produce as farms joined forces to give a hamper to South Dorset MP Richard Drax.

The hamper included watercress and wasabi from The Watercress Company, which sells throughout the UK and Europe from their farm south of Dorchester; cider from the Purbeck Cider Company, which currently sells predominantly in the south of the UK; ice-cream from Purbeck Ice Cream, a front-runner in the manufacture and supply of dairy ice cream made on-farm using local fresh milk; clotted cream from Craig’s Farm Dairy at Osmington and eggs from Cedar Organics just outside Corfe Castle, and beef supplied by Dorchester farmer John Hoskin from Brace of Butchers in Poundbury, as well as honey and cheese.

This selection of the top-quality produce that comes from the constituency was given to Mr Drax during one of his regular meetings with NFU members.

“We were very pleased to be able to present Richard with the hamper, which shows just how high the standard of produce coming from the South Dorset constituency is,” said local beef farmer Ralph Messenger.

“During our meeting we stressed the importance of not underselling farming during the Brexit negotiations and asked for our high standards to be maintained by not opening the doors to low-value produce from around the world.”