Dorset’s independent food and farming businesses will be celebrated at the fifth annual Love Local Trust Local Awards later this month, when the organisation will also launch a new nationwide directory connecting consumers directly with local producers.
The awards take place on Thursday 24th September at Down Barn Farm, near Blandford Forum, recognising small Dorset producers, farmers and artisan makers across 15 categories.
This year’s awards cover food and drink production, retail, hospitality, farming and sustainability and business growth, alongside Mentor of the Year and a Lifetime Achievement award.
Founder Barbara Cossins said: ‘This year’s Awards Night is all about celebrating what these awards truly mean, championing the incredible producers and artisan makers who make our local community what it is.’
The evening will also see the official launch of Fresh From Our Farms, a new UK-wide directory developed by Barbara with Sue White. Building on Love Local Trust Local’s Dorset model, it is designed to help consumers find farmers, growers and producers within their own county, with a dedicated directory and county flag for each area.
Love Local Trust Local was founded in Dorset in 2018 by Barbara, a farmer’s daughter who farms with her husband James at Rawston Farm in the Tarrant Valley, where the family has farmed for five generations.
Guests at the awards will be served a locally sourced dinner prepared by Barbara and the team from The Langton Arms, with the ceremony taking place in Down Barn Farm’s harvest-dressed barn.
The Love Local Trust Local Awards begin at 7pm on Thursday 24th September at Down Barn Farm, Tarrant Rawston, near Blandford Forum.
