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ASDA wins Top Turkey Award - Industry warns prices must rise

Asda scooped the coveted British Turkey Retailer of the Year title at this year's industry awards. The panel of independent judges declared the supermarket chain the winner for its clear packaging, which highlights imaginative serving suggestions, health and nutritional information and British origin, plus the quality of the meat inside. The judges also requested a special mention for Tesco for its prominent use of the union flag on pack, plus its innovative campaign to feature real farmers' faces on pack. Asda was presented with the Retailer of the Year trophy by actor Robert Powell and Kim Burgess, retiring Chairman of British Turkey Federation's Marketing Committee, in front of 200 guests and VIPs at Claridge's, London. Winners of the 13 categories were announced from a record 160 entries, ranging from burgers, kebabs and sausages to specialist breed bronze and black turkeys. The judging panel, made up of trade and consumer journalists, included a consumer, London office worker Susan Bowles, who won her place through a competition on the British Turkey website. She said: "I love turkey and eat it often. But I never realised so many different British turkey products were out there in the shops." One of the most hotly contested awards - Best Christmas product - proved so popular that awards organisers split the category into Best Family Christmas and Best Premium Christmas sections. A Stuffed Turkey Breast Joint from Asda won the family trophy, with Kelly Turkeys picking up the Best Premium award for its traditional KellyBronze bird. An all-year fresh and free range turkey from Waitrose won the Best Primary category, while market leader Bernard Matthews won the Best Branded prize for the packaging of its new Fresh Turkey Drummers. Bart Dalla Mura, UK Chief Executive of Bernard Matthews, gave a keynote speech warning that spiralling wheat prices worldwide would challenge the Christmas turkey market. It was imperative for retailers and other customers to recognise those higher costs. "Two-thirds of the cost of producing a bird is feed. The EU is working to fix the problem but it will take time to go through and the pressure is going to go for a bit yet. We really do need these increases to go through." Dalla Mura reported the industry had bounced back well in the aftermath of the AI outbreak at the start of the year, and thanked retailers for "keeping the faith." "The retailers were fantastic - they had faith in our system controls and we thank them for not over-reacting but for keeping product on their shelves. He added: "All we ask now is that the consumer understands that food costs money. Food is not free, and it is not cheap and they must pay the right amount for it." He ended on a warning to customers: "If people want to continue to buy fresh, local turkey at Christmas, they need to buy it all year round." The evening also raised more than £5,000 for the children's medical charity SPARKS. Winners in full: 1. Best Christmas - Premium Kelly Turkeys - KellyBronze Whole Turkey 2. Best Christmas - Family Asda - Stuffed Turkey Breast Joint with Pork Lattice 3. Best Barbecue Morrisons - Hot & Spicy Turkey Kebabs 4. Best Branded Bernard Matthews - Fresh Turkey Dinosaurs 5. Best Added Value Attwell's Caribbean Style Turkey & Rice 6. Best Innovative Loxtons - Turkey Pakora Masala 7. Best Catering Bernard Matthews - Free Range Norfolk Black Combi Case 8. Best Accompaniment Copas Vary Very Special Boxing Day Chutney with Green Tomatoes 9. Best Ready to eat Asda - Extra Special Free Range Roast Lincolnshire Turkey Breast 10. Best Primary Waitrose - Fresh Lincolnshire Free Range Turkey 11. Retailer of the Year Asda 12. Chef of the Year Anthony Williams, The Williams Arms 13. Recipe Writer of the year Mitzie Wilson 14. Butcher of the Year C Lidgate, London Judges: Sam Fortescue, Fresh Produce Editor, The Grocer Richard Allison, Poultry World Kathy Bowry, Foodservice Update Nicola Palmer, Cookery Editor, That's Life Jennifer Mallinson, Food Director, IPC magazines Susan Bowles, consumer British Turkey Tel: 0800 783 9994 www.britishturkey.co.uk