Norfolk Fruit Spread Shortlisted in National Awards

A Strawberry and Blackberry Fruit Spread from Norfolk is a finalist in the Country Living Magazine and Waitrose Made in Britain Awards 2009.
Wood Berry Farm, the small, Wicklewood-based family company behind the shortlisted fruit spread, is made up of father and daughter team, Peter and Catriona Dickie.  Peter, a retired UN agricultural adviser, specialises in growing the strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, tay and gooseberries that go into the fruit spreads. His daughter Catriona, an actress, has always made the jam for the family, developing recipes that minimise the sugar content to 25% or less for the reduced sugar range and using flavour neutral but naturally sweet concentrated grape juice for the no added sugar range.
 
Following a nationwide search for the best British food and drink producers demonstrating quality, innovation and use of traditional skills, 12 companies have been shortlisted. The finalists include Wood Berry Farm, Norfolk;  Gigha Halibut, Argyll;  Cairngorm Smokehouse, Highland;  Simple Simon’s Perfect Pies, South Lanarkshire;  Chef on the Run Foods, Powys;  Alex Gooch’s Organics, Powys;  Trealy Farm Charcuterie, Monmouthshire;  Bramley and Gage, Gloucestershire;  The Orchard Pig, Somerset;  The Real Veal Company, Cornwall;  The Durham Cow Cheese Company, Co. Durham and Clare’s Organics, Oxfordshire.

Now in its second year, the Made in Britain Awards promote and celebrate British producers, farmers and growers making the heritage foods of tomorrow.

From the finalists, five food producers will be chosen, each winning £5,000 to develop their business and the opportunity to sell their product in local Waitrose stores. The overall Made in Britain Food Champion of the year will receive a further £5,000. An additional category for the Farmers Guardian Best Farm Entrepreneur will be awarded to the farmer who can demonstrate flair, innovation and good business practice, highlighting Waitrose’s continuing support for British agriculture.

The winner of the Made in Britain Awards will be announced at the Royal County of Berkshire Show, held at the Newbury Showground in September. The winners and finalists will appear in a special Country Living Magazine supplement published with the October 2009 issue.

Last year’s Food Champion of the Year was 11-year-old Elsa Amiss and her parents Rona and Nevil of Higher Fingle Farm in Devon, who rear organic free-range ducks and also market the eggs. The duck eggs are now stocked in two West Country branches of Waitrose and some of their prize money was spent on a new website with duck egg recipe ideas.

Susy Smith, Editor of Country Living Magazine says, “Every one of the finalists in the Made in Britain Awards 2009 is producing something special. There are new takes on traditional foods, the rediscovery of lost recipes and cooking methods, the saving of rare breeds and old varieties and the ethical and sustainable farming of meat and fish – buy these foods and you can eat wonderfully well while supporting artisan producers and the rural economy.”

Richard Hodgson, Waitrose Commercial Director says “The innovation and dedication shown by this year’s finalists prove that small producers are major players in the British food arena. Against the backdrop of challenging economic conditions, each of the finalists has had to look beyond the ordinary to create a food or drink product that is extra-ordinary, which Waitrose applauds. As one of the judges I was able to taste this fruit spread and am delighted that it has made the final selection.”