Hello you've downloaded a podcast of BBC Radio 4's The Food Program.

Welcome to our world, from cooking to culture, politics to pleasure.

We hope you enjoy it.

This is the program that gives you a chance to change someone's life. That time again when we ask you to tell us about the people and organizations making a big difference

through food.

These are the people who are flying the flag.

They are innovators and traditionalists doing it out of passion and they make this country a more

interesting place to live and a much more interesting place to eat. For me this is

exceptionally exciting because these are usually stories of kind of love for food against the odds.

Today the hunt begins for a new set of finalists for the 2016 BBC Food and Farming Awards

and that hunt starts here with you as you're here

being nominated really can change everything. They always say like we heard

about you through Food and Farming Awards basically.

Everybody says the same thing. It's like a business changing experience.

Winning the BBC Food and Farming Award has completely and utterly changed our lives.

From markets to local retailers, cooks, food producers, takeaways and street food.

Not forgetting drinks and caterers, we need your insights and your knowledge to put us on track. In this program

we'll hear who's judging this year big names and key players. We'll catch up with

some of the winners and run through the categories.

By the end of this program, I hope you'll be inspired, driven even to our website, BBC.co.uk. UK slash Food Awards to nominate. These awards really count because

everything stems from your nominations. Those nominations will lead to

stories that will go out all across the BBC over the next few months

...