A traditional bacon producer in Honiton has won five Golds in this year's Taste of the West Awards.

Denhay Farms, based at Heathpark, won the top awards for five of its products: Wiltshire thick-cut smoked bacon, dry-cured smoked back bacon, dry-cured unsmoked back bacon, dry-cured smoked streaky bacon and dry-cured unsmoked streaky bacon.

The company was established in 1952 and attributes its success to using 'timeless, traditional methods' and its own special cure.

Awards scheme was run despite Covid-19

The Taste of the West Awards are the largest programme of its kind in the UK.

This year nearly 1,000 food and drink products were entered and the judges tried and tested every single one, despite the difficulties of working within social distancing regulations.

A total of 410 Gold awards, 180 Silver and 100 Highly Commended were achieved.

Because of Covid-10, the usual glossy awards ceremony could not take place, but the list of winners was announced this month on the organisation's website.

'Exceptionally high' standards this year

Taste of the West's chief executive John Sheaves said: "This year we are delighted that given the difficulties the sector has faced with the Covid-19 crisis, the level of innovation in product development has been higher than usual.

"Through our experience of running the UK's largest regional food and drink awards programme, our aim is to raise the bar in terms of excellence.

"In this way, we know that we can offer a product to a discerning consumer market which has been thoroughly tested and evaluated.

"The standard of products entered this year has been exceptionally high."

A full list of all product winners, champion finalists and winners from the Taste of the West Awards 2020 is available on the Taste of the West website.

Entries into the Taste of the West Product Awards 2021 are now open, with reduced early bird entry fees applicable until the end of December 2020.

Entries for the Taste of the West Hospitality and Retail awards are also open , but judging is on hold until Covid-19 restrictions have been eased; further information on the business awards can be found here.