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The Kennet Crayfish Company, based in Thatcham, nominated as top finalist in BBC Food and Farming Awards 2024




A Thatcham company has been nominated as one of three finalists in the ‘Food Producer of the Year’ category at the BBC Food and Farming Awards 2024.

The Kennet Crayfish Company was recognised among other finalists by a judging panel led by chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall at a ceremony in Glasgow.

Managing director Andrew Leech, left, with the team behind The Kennet Crayfish Company. Image supplied by Julia Vockrodt
Managing director Andrew Leech, left, with the team behind The Kennet Crayfish Company. Image supplied by Julia Vockrodt

The judges were searching for individuals and businesses who make life better through food and areleading on the best environmental practices or bringing communities together.

Managing director of The Kennet Crayfish Company Andrew Leech said: “We have worked very hard to create a high welfare, eco-friendly process for bringing wild crayfish, as a delicacy, back to the UK market.

“Signal crayfish were declared an invasive species and their capture and processing governed by new laws introduced five years ago.

“These crayfish are delicious to eat and, prior to the law change, we sold vast quantities of live crayfish to Scandinavia and Eastern European markets.

“We hope this nomination will help the hospitality and catering sectors, as well as consumers in the UK to appreciate the wonderful taste of quality, wild crayfish from the River Kennet, whose nutrient rich waters contribute to the outstanding sweet, delicate flavour.

“Crayfish need to be culled because they carry a virus harmful to our native crayfish, predate the eggs and young of fish, water mammals and birds.

“We believe our crayfish, caught wild and sold chilled, are genuinely a better tasting, more eco-friendly and sustainable product.”

North By Sud-Ouest, based in Liverpool, was announced as the winner in this category.

The Kennet Crayfish Company is based in Thatcham on the banks of the River Kennet.

It sells chilled par-cooked and cooked crayfish for the catering and hospitality trade and direct to consumers.

Crayfish are a smaller, freshwater cousin of the lobster, which they strongly resemble.

The BBC Food and Farming Awards started in 2000 to mark the 20th anniversary of Radio 4’s The Food Programme.



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