THE Wellbeing Farm Cookery School at Edgworth, has beaten dozens of culinary contenders from across the country to win the accolade of Best Use of Local Produce at the British Cookery School Awards 2013.

Judges were looking for cookery schools that could demonstrate use of ingredients provided by local suppliers, and a strong relationship with these suppliers and the local economy.

The judging panel agreed Wellbeing Farm was a worthy winner and demonstrated a passion and dedication to using local ingredients.

Managing director Celia Gaze came up with the idea for Wellbeing Farm after her doctor signed her off with stress, caused by working long days and weekends as a director with the NHS whilst trying to juggle family life and her son, then aged one.

She toured 185 venues, including cookery schools and places which offered corporate away days, before transforming Wheatsheaf Hill Farm and its derelict outbuildings, owned by the family of her partner, Stephen Whitehead, into The Wellbeing Farm in Plantation Road.

There is a coffee lounge with licensed bar serving home-made food using local, seasonal ingredients with indoor and outdoor seating, a craft room, lambing area, nature trails and space for children’s parties.

Results were announced at an awards ceremony at the Vintners’ Company in London.

The event was hosted by head judge and BBC Radio 2’s food and drink broadcaster Nigel Barden.

Celia added: “We’ve only been open for six months and this is our first award. Our hard work has paid off.

“Being a working farm, the provenance of food underpins everything we are about. It’s lovely to win an award such as this.”

With more than 400 cookery schools now operating in the UK, The British Cookery School Awards — sponsored by Kenwood, Analon and Premier Foods — honour cookery schools that go above and beyond to deliver a first class cookery school experience.

The awards aim to celebrate the important role that they play in driving Britain’s passion for cooking good, homemade food. Each category winner received £1,000 worth of Kenwood products.

The judging panel also included Telegraph food writer Xanthe Clay and Guy Lincoln, senior lecturer at Leeds Metropolitan University’s Centre of Hospitality and Retailing Management.

The public were asked to nominate their favourite cookery school.