A couple were able to promote produce from their own smokehouse to thousands of people at a national event backed by a popular TV cooking series.

Tim and Gill Matthews, who run The Artisan Smokehouse at Trimley St Martin, were chosen from more than 70 applicants to be among the dozen companies picked as winners of a BBC Good Food Show Bursary Award.

They were invited to exhibit at Olympia in London at the MasterChef LIVE event.

It took six months to get through the application and judging process to be part of the prestigious event, which recognises passionate, dedicated and outstanding artisan producers, and is visited by tens of thousands of food fans and industry buyers and suppliers.

Katy Truss, manager of the Producers’ Village at the BBC Shows said: “They were up against some of the finest small producers in the UK and had to impress the discerning BBC Good Food editors, so to win this award really proves they are the best.”

Tim and Gill launched their company six years ago and it has been thriving.

They have a producer’s licence to smoke the finest locally sourced food in their own kitchen, including cured meats and cheeses.

“It started off as something fun to do, but we now supply delis county-wide and see ourselves as part of the growing Suffolk food mafia!” said Tim.

The Artisan Smokehouse uses a process called cold smoking, which infuses cooled smoke from recycled maple wood to preserve the life and add subtle flavours to various meats, fish, cheeses, mushrooms and oils.