I’m delighted to lend my support to the Love Local Trust Local awards in Dorset. The initiative was created by the Cossins family who are fifth generation farmers, to champion the fishermen, growers and producers who work hard to maintain high standards of production. The awards are largely geared towards small, independent businesses with 30 employees or fewer, apart from two categories that accept entries from any size business.

They are looking for food:

• that’s grown with love and care to the highest ethical standards.

• with full provenance and complete traceability.

• whose main ingredients are sourced from under 30 miles of origin.

• that fosters community spirit and is good for our overall environment.

The awards tie in with my own beliefs about sourcing and using local produce and supporting local food producers wherever possible. Actually, it’s more than that: it’s about protecting local producers. More than ever, I want to know where my food comes from - and I want to teach my kids the importance of that too. I want as few steps and processes as possible between the farmer and our plates. We stopped buying supermarket meat for many reasons, not least the mislabelling of cheap imported meat products.

The awards are free to enter - I always like that, as it preserves their integrity. Entry opens on Monday 28th June and closes on Monday 27th September. The categories are:

• Bakery - sweet/ savoury

• Jams and condiments

• Honey

• Drinks - non-alcoholic/ beer and cider/ wine and spirits

• Fish

• Meat

• Cheese

• Dairy

• Fruit & Vegetables

• Innovation & diversification - 30+ employees/ fewer than 30 employees

• Conservation & sustainability - 30+ employees/ fewer than 30 employees

• Rising star

For further information, visit www.lovelocaltrustlocalawards.co.uk.