Charcuterie, cheese, bread, cereal, noodles and milk: these days, there’s an award scheme for every type of food and drink. Of course, there are awards for restaurants and retailers, too, but they’re not easily won. Stamps of approval from the likes of Great Taste, Golden Chopsticks and British Charcuterie are highly coveted. Winners receive not just a gong, but a raised profile via social media, food publications and regional news outlets, who love to champion the craft and care that goes into their local cuisine.
And rightly so. Britain’s food scene is thriving thanks to its fertile land, culinary traditions and rich cultural diversity. With an increasing focus on quality and sustainability, farmers are cultivating exceptional produce, to which chefs and producers apply their passion, knowledge and skill.
This melding together of quality and imagination with old, new and diverse traditions is what makes our food scene so remarkable. We spoke to a South African making biltong from retired dairy cows in Ireland, fifth-generation farmers making breakfast cereal in Suffolk, and a Turkish baker in London making sourdough pide. Food judges look for honed craft, but they also look for the unique creativity that comes when people of different ages
