SIX food and drink businesses from Herefordshire and two from Worcestershire have scooped awards at the Heart of England fine foods Diamond Awards at Hilton Birmingham Metropole.

Fifteen accolades presented on the night included 10 product awards, three business awards, a retail and a hospitality award.

Just Rachel Quality Desserts from Ledbury, won the dairy category for its honeycomb ice cream and then went head to head with the winning product from the other nine categories to scoop the most prestigious award of the night – the Special Diamond Award TASTE.

Rachel Hicks, of Just Rachel Quality Desserts, said: “I’m so happy to have won both of these awards, especially when the standard of the shortlisted products was so high. The Diamond Awards are very well respected awards so it’s fantastic to be recognised like this for having top quality products.”

Kit’s Kitchen from Egdon, near Worcester topped the codiments and preserves categort with its sweet pickled red cabbage, while Tipsy Fruit Gisns from Tenbury Wells won the alcoholic beverages section with its damson liqueur.

Cake Aspirations from Ross on Wye won the bakery and confectionery Diamond Award for its vanilla fudge, Lodge Farm Kitchen, also of Ross on Wye, won the desserts category for its sticky toffee pudding and Jus of Ledbury took the soft drinks category with its Cox orange pippin juice.

New for this year were the best retailer diamond award and best hospitality diamond award, both of which were won by Herefordshire businesses. Legges of Bromyard won the best retailer diamond award and The Mill Race of Ross on Wye won the best hospitality diamond award.