FRESHTIME WINS TOP AWARD FOR FOOD TO GO

Lincolnshire snack salad and vegetable specialist Freshtime UK scooped first prize in the Food To Go category at the Quality Food and Drink Awards in London last night (Thursday).

Freshtime won for The Co-operative Truly Irresistible Hot Smoked Salmon Salad, which it makes at its headquarters in Boston.

It was the firm’s second national award in a matter of weeks – Freshtime also won a national prize at the Wholesale Quality Food and Drink Awards when its SPAR Sweet Chilli Noodles came out on top in the Delicatessen category in September.

“It was fantastic to win another prize last night,” said Bryan Nelson, National Account Manager at Freshtime, who collected the award. “These two awards are a tremendous boost for everyone working in our business.

“We’re delighted that the judges have recognised the care we put into preparation and the emphasis we place on the high-quality ingredients we use in our products.

“Food to go is a really important and growing category for us, so to win this award against some really excellent competition is a terrific achievement.”

Freshtime, based on the Riverside Industrial Estate on Marsh Lane in Boston, is a leading supplier of chilled, value added, ready-to-eat salads, snacks, prepared vegetables and sandwich fillers to leading multiple retailers and food service operators.

Celebrating Britain’s greatest food and drink producers from around the country, the Quality Food and Drink Awards brought together over 900 guests, 1,200 entrants and the UK’s leading supermarkets. Eighty-seven products were awarded the coveted QFA and QDA trophies.

The 35th Quality Food and Drink Awards were presented by comedian Andy Parsons and The Great British Bake Off’s 2012 winner John Whaite at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane in London.

All the winners were chosen by a judging panel comprised of experts and influencers from the food industry. The Quality Food and Drink Awards celebrate the success of food and drink products that are on sale in grocery outlets throughout the UK.

To find out more about the Quality Food Awards, visit www.qualityfoodawards.com, become a friend on Facebook: www.facebook.com/QualityFoodAwards or follow them on Twitter, @QualFoodAwards.