South West food manufacturers recognised at national awards

Apetito, based in Trowbridge, and Wyke Farms, based in Bruton, Somerset, were recognised at the Food and Drink Federation Awards for their contributions to the UK's food and drink industry.

Apetito, which provides meals to the health and social care sectors, saw its project engineer, David Lambert, named Food and Drink Engineer of the Year.

The judges were impressed by his innovative approach to conceptualising and driving forward projects, including replacing production lines to double operational capacity.

His efforts have increased production speed by more than six per cent, saving more than £50,000.

Richard Clothier, managing director of Wyke Farms (Image: Kevin Lines) His 'Cook Quench Chill' project increased cooking capacity by 58 per cent and saved 52 tonnes of CO2e per annum.

He also mentors the company's graduate engineers, helping the firm to continue innovating and launching projects across the UK.

Paul Freeston, Apetito's CEO and chair, said: "David is an exceptionally talented engineer and an exemplar to our business of someone who goes the extra mile every day.

"Not only does he make a real difference to our business, but he shares his knowledge and talent freely with our apprentices and supports next generation engineers who are the future of manufacturing."

Wyke Farms, the UK's largest independent and premium cheesemaker, won the Environmental Leadership Award.

The company is renowned for the quality of its cheddar and has led the way in the dairy sector with its sustainable working farm.

All electricity and gas are self-sourced from biogas and solar, generated from farm and dairy waste.

The working model has the capacity to be scaled up and make a significant industry change.

Richard Clothier, managing director of Wyke Farms, said: "Our goal has always been to innovate and lead the way in the dairy sectors as a family-owned business that is highly agile with sustainability enshrined in our core values.

"We work tirelessly to ensure this vision is achieved. The award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire team."

The company has strong staff retention figures, with more than 33 per cent being employed for more than a decade and 89 per cent remaining with the business for more than five years.

The judges praised the winners as being inspirational and role models to other manufacturers, signposting the way to defining the future of food production.