Doddington Dairy is BBC Food and Farming Finalist
Local Cheese and Ice Cream Maker Finalist in the Food Industry’s Oscars
The BBC has announced the finalists for the BBC Food and Farming Awards 2015 which this year includes Doddington Dairy, near Wooler, in Northumberland. These awards really are the Oscars of the Food industry and Doddington Dairy, who started producing cheese from their farm twenty years ago and Ice Cream 15 years ago, are delighted to have made the shortlist.
In this 15th anniversary year, the final shortlist brings together some of the most innovative, dedicated and passionate people, and organisations from around the UK who are changing food for the better. Each year these Awards celebrate the people and organisations behind the best of British food. The finalists start off as a nomination sent in by a member of the public and then a team of judges, including some of the UK’s best known chefs and food writers, select finalists in each of the ten categories which include Best Food Market, Best Drinks Producer, Best Food Producer, and Best Street Food/Takeaway.
Doddington Dairy is one of the few farm-based food producers, as well as the only dairy farm to be represented in the line-up of finalists. Based near Wooler in Northumberland Doddington Dairy is one of the few remaining dairy farms now operating in this county. This is very much a family business working together to add value to their milk, by producing a range of products. They make a portfolio of unpasteurised artisan cheeses, as well as the recently launched Darling Blue Cheese. Their ice creams are 100% natural and they use, where possible, locally grown ingredients to incorporate into their innovative range. They launched a Newcastle Brown Ale ice cream in 2003 and created a unique flower range of ice creams, including Rose and Saffron & Cardamon.
Commenting on behalf of the Maxwell family and Doddington Dairy Jackie Maxwell said: “As a family business our ethos is to produce the highest quality natural products from our own milk. We are all absolutely delighted to have been chosen as one of the finalist.
“This is a huge milestone for both the family and our fantastic team of staff and it gives our dairy and the products we produce recognition on a national platform.”
The other finalists include street food cooks in London reviving classic Victorian foods such as kedgeree and devilled kidneys, a campaign lobbying for better hospital food, and a vibrant local shop in Liverpool bringing fresh and authentic produce to the local community. There are entries from all around the UK – from an American-style smokehouse based in Cardiff and an Edinburgh-based seaweed harvester, to a gin distillery in Northampton and a Bristol team running experimental cookery workshops for children under 5.
Sheila Dillon, presenter of Radio 4’s The Food Programme and host of the Awards said, “I’ve been judging these awards since they were set up & I’ve never before felt so strongly that food and farming are changing the UK. Many of the best, most entrepreneurial, engaged minds are now in the food business.”
Cyrus Todiwala, chair of judges added, “This year’s finalists are outstanding. The most impressive thing across the board is their motivation and, as judges, we will be spending time trying to understand what drives people to do the things they do.”
Doddington Dairy will hear if they have won when they are announced at The BBC Food & Farming awards ceremony in Bristol on 30th April.
For press information, or to request interviews and images, contact Barbara Huddart – [email protected] 01668283044 – 07980850394
