In their 11th year, the BBC Radio 4 Food and Farming Awards give the public a chance to nominate the food and drink producers they feel are worthy of recognition. It’s a great opportunity to give your own little nod towards the underappreciated, overlooked, or just plain ruddy brilliant. Do nominate here.

The categories for 2010 are:

*BEST FOOD MARKET

Winner in 2009: The Goods Shed, Daily Market, Canterbury, Kent.

*BEST TAKEAWAY

Winner in 2009: Thali Café, Bristol.

*BEST FOOD PRODUCER

Winner in 2009: Trealy Farm Charcuterie, Mitchel Troy, Monmouth.

*BEST DRINKS PRODUCER (new category)

*BEST LOCAL FOOD RETAILER

Winner in 2009: A Ryan butchers, Much Wenlock, Shropshire.

*BBC FARMING TODAY, FARMER OF THE YEAR AWARD

Winner in 2009: Andrew Dennis, Woodlands Organic Farm, Boston.

*BEST “DINNER LADY”/ PUBLIC CATERER

Winner in 2009: John Rankin, Penair Secondary School, Truro, Cornwall.

*BEST RETAIL INITIATIVE

Winner in 2009: Growfair – Pride of Cornwall, Bodmin, Cornwall.

*DEREK COOPER AWARD

Winner in 2009: The Food Ethics Council.

*BBC FOOD CHAMPION 2010 (formerly BBC Food Personality)

Winner in 2009: Nigel Slater.

*****

How to nominate

Give your name, address, phone number (and email if possible). Say as much as you can about your nominee, their contact details and why they best demonstrate that category’s criteria. The more you can say about why they are so special, the more you’ll help the judges.

See the website (www.bbc.co.uk/foodawards) for more information, including entry rules and previous winners.

Closing date for entries – August 15^th 2010

Nominate by:

Email: foodawards@bbc.co.uk

Post: BBC  Food and Farming Awards, Room 6045, Broadcasting House, London W1A 1AA

This year’s winners will be featured on BBC Radio 4’s The Food Programme and Farming Today , as well as on BBC Local Radio.The awards ceremony will be broadcast in a special awards edition of The Food Programme in November.