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The BBC Food & Farming Awards were launched in 2000, to mark the 20th anniversary of Radio 4’s The Food Programme. The mission statement then, which remains true to this day, was ‘to honour those who have done most to promote the cause of good food’.

The first judging team included Derek Cooper, the founding presenter of the Food Programme. Subsequent judges have come from a cross-section of the food world such as chefs, academics, retail analysts, writers and campaigners.

Named after The Food Programme’s first presenter, the Derek Cooper Outstanding Achievement Award is for the individual or organisation whose work has brought about real change in our relationship with food. This award is voted for by the judges and is not open to the public.

Chefs in Schools was founded in 2018 by the then head chef at NOPI, Nicole Pisani, the author of the National Food Strategy Henry Dimbleby and executive headteacher at Hackney’s LEAP Federation Louise Nichols. The charity trains school kitchen teams to serve up ‘incredible’ food education and creative school meals made from scratch. 

Chefs in Schools is a charity that operates in over 80 schools and feeds up to 30,000 pupils a day. Edible gardens are created to teach about produce, koji fermentation stations have been installed to teach about science. 

The charity works in areas with higher levels of deprivation, offering support where it is needed most. Chefs in Schools also campaigns for eligibility for free school meals to be extended to ensure no child goes hungry. It aims to change perceptions of what is possible in school food, and the vital role that school chefs play in educating children.

Pisani commented: “We are unbelievably proud to win this award. Not only does it recognise our team, but also the incredible school chefs, headteachers and business managers who are working with us to feed the future. School food gives us a vital opportunity to share with children the fun and joy of a varied and creative diet. The value it offers cannot be underestimated.”  

The winners include:

• Farming for the Future with The Archers and BBC Radio 4’s Farming Today Award: Green Farm Collective
• Best Food Producer: Cosyn Cymru
• The BBC Cymru Wales Best Food and Drink Producer: Peterston Tea
• Food Innovation Award: Alexandra Rose Charity 
• Digital Creator Award: Becky Excell
• Best Street-food, Takeaway and Small Eatery Award: Maasis Cardiff
• Best Drinks Producer: Isle of Wright Distillery
• Derek Cooper Outstanding Achievement Award: Chefs in Schools