Cavanagh Free Range Eggs, Burren Balsamics, Lo&Slow BBQ Sauces and Gary Stewart, head chef at the Tartine restaurant, have won prestigious awards in the annual Great British Food Awards

Four local artisans have won gold, silver and bronze awards in the annual Great British Food Awards for eight foods, the most ever won by local companies in the competition.

The overall local winner was Cavanagh Free Range Eggs from Newtownbutler, Co Fermanagh, the “Sustainable Egg Producer” of the year.

The family-run business also collected two silvers for its breakfast eggs and medium eggs.

The judges praised “the delectable taste of Northern Ireland's eggs with this pack of 6 Breakfast Free Range Eggs”. They added: “Bursting with flavour, the eggs make every breakfast a delightful treat”.

“The quality is apparent in their rich and vibrant yolks, a testament to the hens' welfare. Knowing they are well looked after only adds to the satisfaction of enjoying these delicious eggs”.

Cavanagh is owned and managed by husband and wife team John and Eileen Hall, who said they were “delighted by this outstanding recognition of our eggs”.

The other big winners in the awards were Burren Balsamics of Richhill, Co Armagh; and Lo&Slow BBQ Sauces from Londonderry.

Burren, which is run by founder Susie Hamilton Stubber and Bob McDonald, both respected chefs, gained gold awards for three products – pickled tomatoes; proper digestive biscuits and a wild garlic, salt and pepper mill.

Celebrity chef Raymond Blanc described Burren’s biscuits, as “a Great British Biscuit, showcasing modern artisanal baking”.

Owned by Emily McCorkell, Lo&Slo won gold for its quirky Screaming Banshee Ghost Chilli and Seaweed Blend sauce and silvers for Chilli Mop Sauce and Sweet and Smoky.

Gary Stewart, head chef at the Tartine restaurant at the Distiller’s Arms pub in Bushmills, also won silver for his pickled sauce and bronze for his raspberry and apple sauce.

The Great British Food Awards was launched in 2014 “to celebrate the country's finest artisanal produce, as well as the hard-working people behind the scenes”.