Britain’s food heritage is in the spotlight thanks to Speciality Food Magazine and Speciality & Fine Food Fair’s Regional Stars initiative: a project designed to uncover the businesses most passionate about sharing an authentic taste of their region with food lovers far and wide.

25 small-scale businesses were hand-picked from rafts of entries to share their inspiring stories of community spirit, dedication to traditional values, and hunger for showcasing the very best of their local area – and they are brought together in a special feature running in the June issue of Speciality Food Magazine.

This group of passionate food lovers will join forces at Speciality & Fine Food Fair, taking place at Olympia on 9-10 September 2025, where they will come together to celebrate the very best of Britain’s regional food and drink.

Holly Shackleton, editor of Speciality Food Magazine, said, “As a nation, we have a proud heritage of excellent produce and it’s exciting to see how these 25 businesses have not only joined forces with other producers to create supportive ecosystems in their local area, but worked tirelessly with a pure focus on quality to ensure that what they create is a celebration of the land under their feet. I’m proud to profile the following businesses in the pages of Speciality Food, and look forward to celebrating them in person at Speciality & Fine Food Fair in September.”

Nicola Woods, event manager of Speciality & Fine Food Fair, said, “This initiative is about more than just celebrating quality products, it’s about recognising the people behind them who are championing local sourcing, sustainability, and a deep-rooted connection to the place they call home. These producers are the heartbeat of the speciality and fine food sector. They work tirelessly, not only to craft exceptional products, but to champion independent business, support their local economies, and build genuine relationships with their customers and industry partners.”

The 25 Regional Stars are:

North

• Allison Raper – Teesdale Cheesemakers
• Annabelle Taylor – Wass Farm
• Matthew Kennedy – Jack & Jill’s

East Anglia

• Richard and Trudi Wild – Number 18
• Katherine Manning – Suffolk Meadow
• Sarah Savage – Essence Foods

South

• Fatima Zaman – Zaman Condiments
• Frank Reynolds – Kingcott Dairy

South West

• Ann and Fergus Muller – Ann’s Pasties
• Andy Venn – Somerset Charcuterie
• Bertie Matthews – Matthews Cotswold Flour
• Barrie Gibson – Fowey Valley Cider
• James Millar – Good Game Charcuterie

Wales

• Joanna Morgan – Radnor Preserves
• Matthew Rees – Carmarthen Ham

South East

• Keith and Katy Morrison – Solley’s
• Stela Tanase – Busy Bees
• Andrew and Di Mills – Nunc Drinks

Midlands

• Tori and Ben Stanley – Tori & Ben’s
• Paula Wood – Home Farm Produce

Northern Ireland

• Alanna McKeever – Long Meadow Cider
• Patrick Black – Clandeboye Estate Yoghurt
• Michelle Wilson – Crawford’s Rock Seaweed

Scotland

• Pete Mitchell – The Farmer’s Son
• Marian and Simon Kennedy – Highland Boundary

Keep an eye on @specialityfoodmagazine and @specialityfair for details of the Regional Stars showcase at Speciality & Fine Food Fair 2025.

Find out more about the winner companies in the June issue of Speciality Food magazine, available here: specialityfoodmagazine.com/issuedownload