THE Best Food Producer category celebrate food products which are made in Herefordshire, aside from dairy products.

Entries had to be made, produced or grown in Herefordshire.

The finalists chosen are: Alice's Homes Bakes, Myrtles Kitchen and Peter Cooks Bread Ltd.

Alice's Home Bakes was formed in June and has grown at a rapid rate in the first three months of business.

The product range includes cupcakes, brownies, blondies, cheesecakes and occasion cakes to order.

Alice's Home Bakes opened a stall in the Hereford Buttermarket in September.

Where possible, Alice's Home Bakes uses local ingredients. Alice Clark, who owns the company, said: "The fruit used in bakes, as long as it is in season, is purchased from Court Farm in Hereford, three miles away.

"The eggs used in bakes comes from Country Flavours eggs. Country Flavours also provide our jam. Milk and cream used is from Bartonsham Farm. All of these businesses are within Herefordshire."

All bakes are made by Alice.

Myrtle's Kitchen has spent the last four years creating an award-winning chutney and jam to be proud of.

The Bishops Frome company now has 12 products in their range and all recipes are created and developed in house. Their Herefordshire Hedgerow chutney sits on the shelves of Selfridges in London.

The company is owned by Jane Raven who said: "Wherever possible we use local products: chuckleberries from Crickhowell, apples from Instone Court Munderfield, ale from Swan Brewery in Leominster, foraged blackberries and nettles...the list goes on.

"If we cannot source the core ingredient locally, we purchase from local Herefordshire based businesses supporting jobs and business in Herefordshire."

Peter Cooks Bread Ltd in Bishops Frome work hard to make the most nutritious and tastiest of loaves using only naturally-sourced ingredients.

Shona Kelly, co-director, said: "Our loaves are made from just four ingredients: flour, water, sea salt and yeast (wild yeast for the sourdough). There is no added nonsense, such as concentrates or other chemically-derived ingredients.

"The long-fermentation processes that we use allow flavours to develop naturally; providing a beautiful crumb, a long-lasting loaf, as well as a loaf that is easier to digest and more nutritious. Our Ledbury and Malthouse loaves can even be eaten by those with a gluten intolerance."

In February, they launched a pastry range for which they use the same three-day process as in their bread. With the changing seasons, they are creating monthly specials championing the abundance of local produce on offer.