At last year’s Food, Farming & Fishing Awards, a special award for Diversification was won jointly by Mike Walker and Clare Lewis, Isle of Man Goats & Mohair, and Will and Janette Qualtrough, BallaKarran Meat Company.

Both of the winners believe that the awards are important for raising the profile of Manx food in general and have been working to help make it more easily available to local consumers.

Clare said: ’I think the awards are great.

’They highlight the excellence we have on the Isle of Man: we have some world class producers here and it keeps reinforcing to the public that you can get so much of your food here.

’So many people are disconnected from the food they eat.

’Most days I put meals on the table for my family where the ingredients are all Manx.

’People say they don’t know where to find Manx ingredients but it’s not difficult, it just takes a bit of effort.’

Will Qualtrough has launched a veg box scheme, with add-ons including Clare’s goat cheese, to make it as easy as possible for shoppers to have a good proportion of their weekly shop fresh, Manx and delivered to their door.

The veg boxes start from £7.50, with all the veg grown locally by Peter Quaye at The Eary and Chris Kneale at Ballachristory.

In addition, customers can add on a number of other local products: BallaKarran pasture-fed lamb; Manx beef, pork sausages and eggs; Dairy Shed yogurts, Isle of Man Quinoa, Morgan’s Pies (including a vegan pie); Staarvey Farm preserves, and Leela’s Kitchen spices.

The boxes can be collected from the BallaKarran van when it makes its regular stops around the island or can be delivered to your door.

You can find more details on their Facebook page.

Will said: ’The awards raise the profile of Isle of Man food and drink: it’s not just about Ballakarran, it’s all of us.

’We need to tell the world what we’ve got in the Isle of Man.’

Claire agreed: ’I think the Awards are a great.

’They highlight the excellence we have on the Isle of Man: we have some world class producers here.’

â?¢ See right for details on how to enter this year’s awards.

The awards are run by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture.