Two south west food manufacturers have won awards at the Food & Drink Federation (FDF) Awards.
The awards celebrate excellence, innovation, and talent in the UK's food and drink industry.
Apetito, based in Trowbridge, and Wyke Farms, based in Bruton, were both recognised for their contributions.
Wyke Farms claimed the Environmental Leadership Award, while Apetito’s David Lambert was named Food and Drink Engineer of the Year.
Judges were impressed by Mr Lambert's innovative approach to managing ambitious projects, which included replacing production lines to double operational capacity.
He has increased production speed by more than 6 per cent, saving over £50,000, and his project Cook Quench Chill increased cooking capacity by 58 per cent, saving 52 tonnes of CO2e per year.
He also mentors the company's graduate engineers, helping the firm meet its net zero pledge by 2040.
Apetito’s CEO and chair, Paul Freeston, said: "David is an exceptionally talented engineer and an exemplar to our business of someone who goes the extra mile every day.
"Not only does he make a real difference to our business, but he shares his knowledge and talent freely with our apprentices and supports next generation engineers who are the future of manufacturing."
Wyke Farms, a progressive cheesemaker, is renowned for its quality cheddar and is the UK's largest independent premium cheesemaker.
Following the launch of its flagship Ivy’s Reserve Vintage Cheddar and Farmhouse Butter as the world’s first carbon neutral dairy brand, the company has created a sustainable working farm, where all electricity and gas are self-sourced from biogas and solar generated from farm and dairy waste.
Wyke’s commitment to sustainability is reflected in its staff retention, with over 33 per cent of employees having been with the company for more than a decade.
Richard Clothier, managing director of Wyke Farms, said: "Our goal has always been to innovate and lead the way in the dairy sectors as a family-owned business that is highly agile with sustainability enshrined in our core values.
"We work tirelessly to ensure this vision is achieved.
"The award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire team."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here