Two Shropshire businesses have scooped awards at the at the HEART of ENGLAND fine foods (HEFF) Diamond Awards.
Coopers Gourmet Sausage Rolls and Alpha Marketing have both picked up awards at the glittering Diamond Awards Gala Dinner was held on Saturday at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole.
It was the fifth annual Diamond Awards from HEFF, the food group for the heart of England, which celebrates the best of local food and drink from across Shropshire, Staffordshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire and Birmingham and the Black Country.
Coopers Gourmet Sausage Rolls, based at the Shropshire Food Enterprise Centre in Shrewsbury, won the Special Diamond Award GROW, sponsored by Graphics and Print. This award recognises business achievement and growth in the industry.
Ivan Watkiss of Coopers Gourmet Sausage Rolls said: “I am so pleased to have won this award, I have a very hard working team so it’s a great testament to them. Winning this award coincides with last week being our busiest week of sales ever so to be recognised for driving business forward and demonstrating growth in this current economic climate is fantastic.”
Marketing company Alpha Marketing, Shrewsbury, which specialises in food and drink marketing, won the Special Diamond Award EXCEL, sponsored by APC Overnight.
There were 15 accolades presented on the night including 10 product awards, three business awards, a retail and a hospitality award. The evening was hosted by Midlands journalist and broadcaster Suzanne Virdee.
Over 220 guests enjoyed a locally sourced six course menu at the Gala Dinner prepared by a Brigade of Chefs led by Paul Taylor, Executive Chef at Hilton Birmingham Metropole. Working alongside Paul were three chef lecturers from University College Birmingham; Mathew Shropshall, Bernhard Schumacher and Paul Russell. Apprentice chef Kelly Jones from the Shropshire Food Enterprise Centre's Taste Kitchen also took on the challenge for the first time along with the Centre’s newly appointed Development Chef Calvin Watson.
For more information about the Diamond Awards and the winners, please visit www.heff.co.uk.
