delicious. Produce Awards: the categories

There are nine categories in total, plus an editor’s choice award. And new this year, is a category for drinks! Ready to enter?

Primary
Quality produce, grown with respect for the land, reared with care in the field, or sustainably sourced from our waters 

• From the dairy
  
Demonstrable regard for the behavioural and physical welfare of animals on British farms; sufficient grazing pasture; traceability of produce. This includes produce such as milk and cream.
• From the earth

  Ethically-grown or foraged British crops that reflect a healthy respect for the land and its natural seasonal cycles, while minimising pollution and waste to the environment. This includes produce such as grains and flours, seeds, pulses, fruits, vegetables, salad leaves, herbs and foraged foods.
• From the field

  Animals and birds, bred for the table and reared with a high regard for their physical and emotional welfare. Non-caged birds, with freedom to roam outdoors, and animals raised on pasture or land suitable for grazing or foraging. Humanely slaughtered and traceable meat.  Honey should be traceable to a single region. This includes produce such as raw meat, poultry and game and eggs.
• From the sea

  Sustainably sourced seafood caught in British waters or ethically farmed; wild stock or fish and shellfish, reared in environmentally responsible farms. This category also includes wild or farmed samphire, purslane, edible seaweed varieties and other ‘sea vegetables’.

Artisan
Simple, wholesome and flavoursome artisan food, made with natural ingredients.

The expectation is that products are made with British-grown or reared produce and that the final product is made in the UK.  Perhaps it’s as simple a process as churning butter from British milk, making soup with home-grown ingredients, or selling Lancashire hot pots made with local meat. 

We also recognise our diverse communities and the food that we love to eat – Caribbean curries, Chinese dim sum, Indian snacks, Italian sauces, and French patisserie for example. If your favourite food fits our criteria, share the love and let us know. 

Ingredients for artisan products can be sourced from further afield if not readily available in the UK. For example, eligible entries will include the likes of tapenade made with Mediterranean olives, Asian-spiced pickles, or marmalade prepared with Spanish oranges.  Traceability of ingredients should be transparent and ethical business practices adhered to. 

• From the dairy

  Eligible products include freshly churned butter, tangy buttermilk, yogurt, ice cream and local cheese varieties. It also includes products that use dairy products as a key ingredient, such as garlic butter, buttermilk pancakes, junket, creamy custard tarts, etc.
• From the earth

  This includes artisan bread and bakery products, such as cakes and biscuits; preserves, honey, pickles, sea salt and dishes made with locally-grown fruit and vegetables, such as chilli chocolate; oils such as rapeseed; hedgerow harvests transformed into retail items  – perhaps a wild garlic dressing, wild berry puddings, and other ready-to-eat prepared items.
• From the field

  For example, dry-cured bacon and sausages, terrines, smoked meats, pies, air-dried ham, casseroles, curries, scotch eggs, and ready-to-heat or eat dishes.
• From the sea

  Items such as preserved and prepared seafood, including potted shrimps, smoked kippers, pâté and prepared dishes where the main ingredient is British-caught.

Editor’s choice
For a standout product from any of the above categories that deserves special recognition.

NEW THIS YEAR! A category for drinks: wine, sparkling wine, craft beer and cider, soft drinks, herbal teas…