Thousands of people have voted a Norfolk firm's potatoes one of the best foods in the East of England.
More than 3,500 votes were cast online, by post and in-store for the East of England Co-op Producer of the Year awards,which celebrate the quality and diversity of more than 130 growers and producers who contribute to The Co-op’s ‘Sourced Locally’ range.
And voted Norfolk champion was Buxton Potato Company, of Buxton, which is a specialist potato grower and supplier.
The Essex champion was Rossi Ice Cream, of Southend, while theSuffolk Champion was Lane Farm Country Foods, from Brundish, a sausage producer.
All three firms now go on to the next round to compete for the East of England Producer of the Year crown.
Tim Briscoe, owner of Buxton Potato Company, has been supplying East of England Co-op stores since 2010.
He said: “I am staggered by the number of votes we got, and delighted for the guys I work with that all our hard work from variety testing, growing seed and then planting and harvesting has been rewarded with confirmation by our customers that they are enjoying our tasty, value for money potatoes.'
Kevin Warden, East of England Co-op’s local sourcing manager, said: “This year we received more votes than ever, which just goes to show how much our customers value the opportunity to buy local from those dedicated growers and producers who have such a passion for good quality food. We wish all three county winners the best of luck for the final round.”
Later this month, an external panel of judges will deliberate on which county champion deserves to be crowned Producer of the Year.The winner will be announced on 20 March.
In almost five years, The Co-op's Sourced Locally range has grown from a few suppliers to more than 130 firms bringing over 2,000 local products into stores.
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