Pembrokeshire food and drink has swept the board with 12 awards at the Oscars of the Welsh food and drink industry.
The County won four Gold Awards, three Silver awards and four Bronze Awards at the prestigious True Taste Food and Drink Awards 2009, held in Abergavenny on Thursday.
Kate Morgan, Food Officer for Pembrokeshire County Council, congratulated everyone involved and praised the high quality of food businesses in the County.
“This is a fantastic achievement for Pembrokeshire,” she said. “It shows that the quality of our food offer is improving all the time.”
Pembrokeshire Fish Week won the Gold Award in the Food Tourism Destination category. The festival, which celebrated its 10th birthday this year, is organised by Pembrokeshire County Council.
“Pembrokeshire Fish Week is such a good example of food tourism – it’s broader than just the food on plate,” said Kate. “It’s all about making use of our wonderful assets like the coastline and rivers, and bringing those together with our fantastic local produce. It’s about bringing a new dimension to tourism.”
Pembrokeshire Fish Week is now established as one of the must-see events on the national tourist calendar, attracting thousands of visitors into Pembrokeshire. This year, more than 200 events were enjoyed by food lovers, anglers, families and outdoor enthusiasts alike.
Meanwhile, Pembrokeshire Produce Direct scooped two awards in the Awards. The food delivery scheme won the Gold Award for Online Retailer of the Year category, plus the Bronze Award in the Local Sourcing Initiative category.
Pembrokeshire Produce Direct’s website allows people to order locally-produced goods and have them delivered direct to their door.
Other local winners in the True Taste Food and Drink Awards 2009 are:
•· Alderwicks Ltd, Haverfordwest, who won Gold in the Non-Alcoholic Drinks category, for their Elderflower Cordial.
•· Firstleaf, Brynberian, who won Gold in the Fresh Produce – Small Producer category, for their Selection of Micro Salad and Petite Leaves.
•· Puffin Produce Ltd, of Withybush, Haverfordwest, who won Gold and Silver Awards in the Fresh Produce – Large Producer category, for their Maris Peer Potatoes and Estima Potatoes.
•· The First Milk Cheese Company Ltd, Haverfordwest, who won Silver in the ‘Dairy – Large Producer’ category for their Pembrokeshire Cheese Company extra mature cheddar.
•· Pembrokeshire Fudge, Wiston, who won Silver in the ‘Baked and Confectionary – Small Producer’ category for Pembrokeshire Honey Fudge.
•· Andrew Rees and Sons Ltd, Narberth, who won Bronze in the Retailer of the Year category.
•· Cwtch, St Davids, who won Bronze and West Wales Regional Winner in the ‘Eating Out in Wales – Restaurants, Pubs and Hotels’ category.
•· Quayside Tearoom, Lawrenny, who won Bronze and West Wales Regional Winner in the ‘Eating Out in Wales – Cafes and Tearooms’ category.
