LUDLOW Food Centre has won a national butchery award.

From more than 500 entries nationwide the Food Centre, based in Bromfield, was named butcher of the year in the Farm Shop and Deli Awards 2015.

“We are extremely proud that we were nominated by our customers and that we were chosen out of such a strong field by the judges,” said Edward Berry, managing director of the centre.

Ludlow Food Centre only sells beef, lamb and pedigree Gloucester Old Spot pork that is reared on its Oakly Park Estate in the fields to the north of Ludlow.

“This award is a real achievement for our butchery team, many of whom started with us as apprentices,” added Mr Berry.

“John Brereton, our butchery manager, is to be commended for his hard work, building and training a team of young butchers to win an award of this calibre.”

John Brereton came to the Earl of Plymouth’s Oakly Park Estate before the Food Centre was built with the goal of creating a new butchery team.

He has trained five apprentices, one of which, Andrew Brassington, won Britain’s best young butcher in 2012.

Now in its second year, the Farm Shop and Deli Awards, in partnership with Olives Et Al, recognises the best standards in the speciality retail market.

The Farm Shop and Deli Awards 2015 received a record number of entrants from more than 500 businesses across the UK.

Ludlow Food Centre was one of 12 category winners and 23 commended chosen following a day of intensive judging by leading speciality retailers and key industry figures along with mystery visits.

The scores will now be counted and judged within the nine UK regions, announcing the regional champions in March.