Cornwall-based Trewithen Dairy has been crowned the South West's Sustainability Champion in the Food Reader Awards 2022. Revealed on Monday 27 June at Winslade Manor, the award recognises Trewithen Dairy's commitment to sustainable development and investment in environmental practices.

For almost a decade, the esteemed awards have championed the South West's independent food and drink businesses and this year received a record 100,000 nominations and votes across 13 award categories. Sponsored by carbon accounting business, Blue Marble, the Sustainability Champion award is a new category for 2022. Finalists included River Cottage, Riverford Field Kitchen and Two Drifters Rum.

Francis Clarke, Managing Director of Trewithen Dairy, says: “Food Magazine Reader Awards recognises some of the most outstanding producers, chefs and venues across the Westcountry, so we are beyond delighted to stand out for our sustainability credentials.

“From inception, Trewithen Dairy has always held a core belief that we should act with integrity, transparency and leave something better behind. These values are at the heart of our relationship with our farmers, who crucially produce the milk to make our products. We recognise that sustainability is very much a journey and we will always strive to do better – from our solar farm investment in 2014, the Zero to Landfill achievement in 2020, to the current work we are doing to find sustainable packaging solutions and regenerative farming; these are just some of the actions we have taken to demonstrate our commitment to a sustainable future.

“We'd like to thank everyone who voted for us in these awards and to all our customers for supporting us. We will continue to hold ourselves to account, invest in our environment and consider the social and environmental impact of every decision we make.”

With over three generations of dairy farming in their blood, the Clarke family behind Trewithen Dairy believe in best practice dairy farming and they started crafting dairy products in 1994.

They aimed to create a premium product by having a close relationship with farmers, paying a fair price for milk and, crucially, always buying every drop of milk that is produced. All Trewithen Dairy farms are based in Cornwall and have committed to sharing a common set of values to ensure the highest levels of animal health, welfare and husbandry above and beyond Red Tractor standards. They call this code their 'trewFarming Standards' and it ensures best practice across all the farms.

Trewithen Dairy believe in prioritising the environment and protecting its rural surrounds for generations to come. It takes good soil and healthy pastures to produce the very best milk. Their 'Earth Milk Project' is their journey to produce carbon neutral milk through regenerative farming techniques while protecting wildlife on the pastures.

Food Magazine editor, Kathryn Lewis commented: “Trewithen Dairy and all the finalists exemplify the ground-breaking food and drink businesses we have in the South West.  It was a fabulous evening and we're thrilled that Trewithen Dairy will now join our list of previous winners, which includes the likes of Nathan Outlaw, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Rick Stein.”

The awards were launched by Salt Media in 2012 through its publication Food Magazine, and celebrate the very best restaurants, cafes, pubs, chefs, hotels, producers, retailers, cookery schools and more.  The nominations, shortlist and finalists are solely chosen by the public through a series of voting rounds.

At the awards' ceremony, Winslade Manor's executive chef Matt Mason crafted a stunning four-course celebration dinner which was matched with wines from Ellis Wines and craft beers from Sharp's Brewery. 

Supporters and sponsors of the Food Reader Awards 2022 included some of the best food brands in the country such as Ellis Wines, Flying Fish Seafoods, Frobishers, Indy Coffee Box, RAW Food & Drink PR, Roastworks Coffee Co, Sharp's Brewery, South West 660, The Devon Meat Box Co., Total Produce and Wickhams.

For further information about the Food Reader Awards, all the categories and winners and finalists please visit https://food-mag.co.uk/features/food-reader-awards-2022/.

Note to editors:

• A full list of winners can be found below.
• Images from the event can be found here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1IOqjxyuSJTKLsf8as_jR9_JvdWDC0y2O?usp=sharing.  If using any of these images, please credit Guy Harrop/Salt Media.
• For more info about Trewithen Dairy contact Harry Hook on harry@rawfoodanddrinkpr.co.uk.
• For more information about Food Magazine and the awards, please call Food magazine editor Kathryn Lewis at Salt Media on 01271 859299 or email kathryn@saltmedia.co.uk.

Food Reader Awards 2022 Winners

Best Chef
Sponsored By Sharp's Brewery

Harriet Mansell – Robin Wylde, Dorset

Best Restaurant
Sponsored By Total Produce

The Beckford Bottle Shop, Bath

Best Hotel
Sponsored by Ellis Wines
Lympstone Manor, Devon

Best Cocktail Bar
Sponsored by RAW

HydeAway, Somerset

Best Cafe
Sponsored by Roastworks
Electric Bakery, Cornwall

Best Dining Pub
Sponsored by Frobishers
The Bull Inn, Devon

Best Food Product
Sponsored by Salt Media

Rodda's Clotted Cream

Best Drink Product
Sponsored by Wickhams
Sharp's Brewery Doom Bar

Best Indie Retailer
Sponsored by Independent Coffee Guide

Veg in a Box, Devon

Best Farm Shop
Sponsored by The Devon Meat Box Company
Teals, Somerset

Best Cookery School
Sponsored by Flying Fish Seafoods

Devon Cookery School, Devon

Best Newcomer
Sponsored by South West 660
Emily Scott Food, Cornwall

Sustainability Champion
Sponsored by Blue Marble
Trewithen Dairy, Cornwall