A DINNER was held on the eve of the Growing Your Business conference to celebrate the fifth anniversary of regional food group Heart of England Fine Foods (HEFF).

In 1998, HEFF started with a handful of members and a staff of one.

Today, there are 12 full and part-time staff, based at the group's head quarters, in Much Wenlock, Shropshire, and six county project officers.

In five years, HEFF has worked with more than 300 regional food and drink companies, who have together achieved a combined turnover of more than £400m.

The dinner was attended by food producers and representatives of organisations that support HEFF.

It was held at Brockencote Hall, Chaddesley Corbett, near Kidderminster, and offered guests a banquet of locally produced food and drink.

The meal included a five-layered terrine of Evesham root vegetables drizzled with a beetroot and radish vinaigrette, followed by striploin of Hereford beef in a red wine jus, with Yorkshire puddings and shiitake mushrooms grown in Sinton Green, near Worcester.

For dessert there was poached Worcestershire pears, with a bitter chocolate tart.

To round off, there was a cheese platter featuring ten locally-produced cheeses, including Old Worcester White, Worcestershire Gold and Herefordshire Sage.

All the wines served were also locally produced.

These included Elgar Sparkling, from Tiltridge Vineyard, Upton-on-Severn, Madeleine Angevine 2001 and Late Harvest 2001, both from Astley Vineyard, Stourport, and Paunton Rose, from Frome Valley Vineyard, Bishops Frome, near Hereford.

To round off, Damson Gin, from Tipsage Farm, Tenbury Wells, was served.