Bringing together businesses, community groups and schools to celebrate local food and drink and healthy eating has earned Bath & North East Somerset Council (B&NES) the top prize in the 2016 National British Food Fortnight competition.
British Food Fortnight, which this year took place between September 17 and October 2, is staged to champion the best of the country’s food and drink and to encourage people to buy local. 
B&NES celebrated British Food Fortnight by organising a lively programme of events, activities and competitions, with more than 30 businesses and organisations taking part in food festivals, cooking and growing courses and special local food promotions and menus.
The council also launched an online local food directory to enable residents and visitors to easily find and buy locally produced food and drink and a lunch was also provided for primary schools prepared from healthy, locally sourced and organic ingredients, helping children celebrate British food traditions and local produce.
Each year organisers of the National British Food Fortnight stage a competition to acknowledge the most imaginative and inclusive celebrations of British Food across the nation.
The judges – who included Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Andrea Leadsom and chef Raymond Blanc – named B&NES as the unanimous winner.
Cabinet member for community services Martin Veal said: “The Bath and North East Somerset British Food Fortnight was a huge success, bringing together local businesses, community groups and schools to celebrate local food and drink and healthy eating and to support local businesses in imaginative ways.
“By creating a district-wide programme we were able to extend the celebrations leading to a truly remarkable fortnight of fun and food.”
Council leader Tim Warren added: “This is a fantastic achievement for Bath and North East Somerset and recognises efforts from the whole community to celebrate the fantastic local food produced in our area.”
Breige Donaghy, director of Delicious Food, part of Co-op Food, which sponsored the Fortnight, said: “Huge congratulations to Bath & North East Somerset for the fantastic activity they organised for this year’s British Food Fortnight.
“I was thrilled to be involved in judging entries that saw such wonderful community events taking part across the UK.
“Bath & North East Somerset certainly brought the whole community together to celebrate all that is great about British food.
B&NES’ activities will be promoted widely to inspire more communities to get involved next year.
