County businesses, which excel in providing or sourcing local food and drink, have once again been recognised in the annual Pembrokeshire Produce Mark Awards.
Award winners were announced at the Pembrokeshire Agricultural Show in Haverfordwest by Councillor Anne Hughes, Chairman of Pembrokeshire County Council today (Wednesday August, 19th).
The Pembrokeshire Produce Mark scheme has more than 300 members, which are verified to ensure that the product they sell or use is made in Pembrokeshire.
The scheme includes food and drink producers, artists and craftspeople, hospitality establishments, which use Pembrokeshire food and drink in their menus, and retail outlets, which sell locally-made items.
Members display a unique logo, which helps customers to identify that the product has been made in the County or that their establishments use or sell local produce.
The People’s Choice Award, which is sponsored by Tesco and Pembrokeshire County Council, was also announced today.
Over the last two weeks consumers from all over Pembrokeshire have been voting for their favourite food or drink produced or grown in the County.
This year’s winner is Martyn and Danielle Lloyd of Fishguard for their Farm Fresh Free Range Chickens.
As well as the award, Martyn and Danielle also received £100 worth of Tesco vouchers.
The Lloyd family has been farming in the Fishguard area for centuries and Martyn and Danielle are the third generation to farm at Cilshafe Isaf overlooking Fishguard Bay.
Their free range chickens are reared with love and care for more than twice as long as mass produced birds. Their slow growth, quality of life and environment give the birds a unique flavour. They also produce oven ready chickens and are gaining a reputation for their chicken sausages.
Mark Grant, Tesco’s senior buying manager for Wales, said: “We were delighted to have been able to support local producers and sourcing in Pembrokeshire.”
Martyn and Danielle also picked up the award for the Best New Pembrokeshire Product.
It is the first time a producer has collected two of the Pembrokeshire Produce Mark Awards in the same year.
The winner of the award for Best Marketing of Pembrokeshire Produce is Pembrokeshire Produce Direct.
This new concept in food shopping, which was officially launched at the show earlier today, aims to make local produce more accessible.
The scheme, which has around 55 producers offering 1,500 products from Pembrokeshire and neighbouring counties, enables anyone in West Wales to order locally produced food on the internet or over the phone and have them delivered directly to their door.
This year there are two winners of the Best Use of Pembrokeshire Produce in a Hospitality Establishment award.
They are Louise and Edwards Sykes of Llys Meddyg in Newport and Joyce Evans of Y Garth B&B in Dinas Cross.
Louise and Edwards Sykes have transformed a former Georgian coaching inn into a unique restaurant, which also offers rooms.
Their food is a major magnet for guests with seasonal menus using as much local and organic produce as possible – with puddings a speciality.
Joyce Evans’s five star B&B also offers the best local produce on her menus. Full Pembrokeshire breakfasts are a speciality, while she also offers guests fresh, home-made bread and fruit compotes.
