Nominations for BBC Radio 4 Food & Farming Awards 2015 now open
Nominations are now open for the BBC Radio 4 Food & Farming Awards 2015.
In their 15th year, the awards are run by BBC Radio 4's the Food Programme, and are open to nominees from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. They seek to celebrate the chefs, workplace cooks, producers, retailers, and farmers making a difference, providing innovative ideas, and/or encouraging people to think differently within their field.
The panel of judges includes chef Cyrus Todiwala as chair alongside Angela Hartnett, Giorgio Locatelli, and Richard Corrigan, plus Al Crisci, prison catering manager of the Clink.
Other judges include Sheila Dillon, who is the awards' founder and presenter of the radio show, and food writers and broadcasters such as Charles Campion and Valentine Warner.
BBC website here, within each award category, and require a brief description of the nominee, and an explanation plus examples of why they deserve to win. Nominations are open for two weeks.
There are 10 categories, including BBC Cook of the Year, which is open to people preparing healthy and tasty meals in hospitals, school, workplaces and care homes; Best Food Initiative, for ideas making a positive difference to the way people eat and the direction of the industry; and Best Street Food or Takeaway, which can include pop-ups.
There are also Best Drinks Producer, including juice, wine and beer; Best Food Producer; and the Radio 4 "You and Yours" Best Food Retailer, which is open to local shops, high streets and communities selling affordable, good quality food. Other categories include the Derek Cooper Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Food Game Changer 2015.
The judges will select a shortlist for each category, and then visit each finalist in person. Overall winners will be announced at the BBC Food & Farming Awards ceremony in Bristol on 30 April, as part of the Bristol Food Connections food festival.
Coverage of the awards will feature across BBC channels including BBC One's Saturday Kitchen and Countryfile, and Radio 4's the Food Programme, You & Yours and Farming Today.
Chef Cyrus Todiwala, broadcaster, food writer and chair of judges, says: "Passion and pride in British food can be found all around us, from our local retailers and markets to street food traders and producers. Our aim with these awards is to celebrate the best of British food and to shout to the world about how great we really are!"
Commenting on this year's contest, Dillon said: "These awards were set up to celebrate the achievements of dedicated and passionate food producers, chefs and farmers throughout the UK. Without communities sharing their support, knowledge and nominations we wouldn't be able to recognise their achievements and I can't wait to see which artisans and initiatives we discover this year."
Last year's winners included Tony Mulgrew, a school chef from Halifax who won the Cook of the Year Award; the Pembrokeshire Beach Food Company, which won Best Street Food/Takeaway; and food waste reduction charity Feeding The 5,000, which won Best Initiative in British Food.
Cyrus Todiwala took home the Food Personality of the Year award.
Finalists announced for BBC Radio 4's Food and Farming Awards 2009 >>
