BRIDPORT'S Forest Products is celebrating a clutch of gold medals in the national scheme The Great Taste Awards.

The company won golds for its wholegrain English mustard, real ale chutney, lime marmalade and blackcurrant jam.

Denhay Farms of Broadoak won a gold for its Denhay smoked streaky bacon while Gypsy Gibb @ The Dorset Smokery, Bridport, won a gold for its Easter biscuits.

In all, 40 gold medals were awarded to food produced in the south west and will now go forward to the next round of judging which takes place at London's Fortnum and Mason.

South west producers won the top number of golds against other regions.

Sue Morris from the regional producers group Taste of the West said: "This endorses the work of producers across the six counties of the south west and highlights the quality of food produced in the region. "We hope there will be a huge amount of interest in the award winning products from food buyers across the UK."

Gold medal winners will be attending a prestigious awards dinner in London on the evening before the Speciality and Fine Food Fair where many south west producers are exhibiting from this Sunday until Tuesday.