LEAP recipients recognised in BBC Food and Farming Awards 2026

The finalists for this year’s BBC Food and Farming Awards have been announced, and we are proud that two businesses that have received finance from LEAP are in the final shortlist for their categories! This shortlisting recognises the importance of their work as part of the wider transition to a truly sustainable food system. 

Fresh Flour Company

In the Best Food Producer category, Fresh Flour Company is a worker-owned, not-for-profit organic stone mill in Buckfastleigh, Devon which was founded by Andrew Gilhespy after he grew, scythed, threshed and milled an acre of heritage April Bearded wheat by hand in 2015. 

The mill works with four named organic farms across the South West and Welsh borders, paying farmers what they ask, not what the market dictates. Fresh milling wholegrain flour on granite stones, the team turns heritage wheats into sourdough crackers, digestive biscuits, slow-dried pasta and ramen noodles. LEAP finance enabled investment in the business at a critical stage of development, and the grant supported the introduction of a tracing system enabling customers to see exactly where the wheat in their products comes from. You can hear Andrew’s interview on BBC Sounds, in the 18 September episode of The Food Programme. 

Sole of Discretion

Further down the coast in Plymouth, Sole of Discretion is a collective of small-scale fishers fishing out of Plymouth harbour who have been shortlisted for the Food Innovation Award. Sole of Discretion are committed to procuring fish and shellfish that have been caught with as little damage to the marine environment as possible while contributing to the livelihood of fishers and their communities.

Key to their ethos is getting high-quality and delicious fish to customers. Sole of Discretion highlights under-utilised species such as dab, flounder or lemon sole and dive-caught scallops as well as fish sourced from similarly-minded small-scale fishers overseas, with relationships formed through the Slow Food movement, such as sablefish (black cod) and albacore tuna. You can hear Caroline, founder of Sole of Discretion, being interviewed in the 2 October episode of The Food Programme, and see her talking about the experience of LEAP investment.

Making the LEAP

Although we can’t guarantee a connection between LEAP and winning prestigious awards, if you are looking for supportive, patient loan finance for your short-supply chain, agroecologically aligned food business, LEAP is currently open for applications for another 12 months, with loans of up to £100k available from our group of social investors, accompanied by business mentoring, a social impact grant of £15% of the final loan amount, and ongoing support from the LEAP team. The application process takes between 3-6 months, and the expressions of interest submitted by the 20th of October will be considered at the December meeting of the LEAP Investment Committee. Find out more about LEAP and submit an EOI. 

The winners of the BBC Food and Farming Awards will be announced in Belfast on the 21st of October.