BBC Food and farming award

We were very priveledges to be asked to represent Doncaster Market at the BBC food and farming awards in Bristol last night. Doncaster Market was shortlisted for the best food market award along with Crystal palace and Levenshulme market in Manchester.  Not expecting anything more than just a mention in the opening credits, we actually WON! Firstly I would like to congratulate the crystal palace and Levenshulme on being in the top 3 food markets in Britain. I’m sure we will only see them both getting bigger and better in the future. It was a great experience to meet so many influential people in the food and market sector in Bristol, we even managed to do a bit of celebrity spotting.          The award ceremony itself was something like the Oscars. Tables with all the entries and celebs in the Middle and  family and friends sitting around the sides in suspense. The night we started with a speech from the BBC England director Peter Salmon. Congratulating all the entries and of course Bristol for putting on such a good show for the BBC awards. The award is also going to be there for the next 3 years. Hopefully, we will be able to go back to defend our crown. The host for the award was BBC Radio 4’s Sheila Dillon,  The list of winners of all the categories is below, I would love to mention why they are all fantastic and worthy winners but I think I will leave that to themselves and I will link there websites or twitter feeds into them. Best Drink Producer was Square Root from London  Best Food Producer was Doddington dairy from Northumberland Best Street Food or Takeaway was Hang fire Smokehouse from Cardiff Best Food Market was our very own Doncaster Market.  Best Food Initiative  was the Food Assembly  Best Food Fridges was Display Fridge Wholesale UK Cook of the Year was Jo Ingleby from Taste and Season based in Bristol. Farming Hero was the amazing 82-year-old, Joan Bomford Food Game Changer was Professor Chris Elliot for his report into the horsemeat scandal Bristol Food Hero was Steve Griffiths from Knowle West  Lifetime Achievement went to Randolph Hodgson OBE from Neal’s Yard Dairy  The reception after included a great selection of all the entries produce, we went from sourdough pizza to smokehouse ribs to ice cream and then to elderflower gin, we might have gone back to the Gin a couple of more times but we did have reason to celebrate. (please don’t judge) You will be able to listen to the food awards on the BBC’s Radio 4 food programme on Monday from 3 pm, so if you have the chance to listen and hear for our little K.D.Davis plug on the radio, please do. If not the BBC were also filming for Countryfile while we were there, so a selection of the award winner (hopefully us) will also be on BBC One in the next two weeks, so please keep an eye out for that. Now we a little time to reflect on the train home what this actually means for Doncaster Market and it’s traders. It just goes to show that we really do have the best market in Britain, we need to promote that our traders are experts in their product. Including us, we are happy to chat to every single customer about our fresh produce and where it all comes from, this is same throughout the market whether it be the fishmonger, Butcher, Baker or even the pet stall telling you about a new product that is better than a leading brand for your pets.  Doncaster Market is only going to get better and better from here and I can’t wait to share it with you on this blog  and on our stalls. See you all soon,  Ryan Davis  One proud fourth-generation Greengrocers, who can’t wait for the future of our local market.

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