A DELICATESSEN business with shops in Saltburn and Guisborough has been shortlisted for a national BBC food award.

Real Meals has been nominated for the BBC Food Retailer of the Year title, and BBC Radio 4 visits the firm today.

Co-owner Sheila Beswick, of Saltburn, said: "We initially discovered we'd been nominated by customers a few weeks ago. We received a telephone call from the BBC, saying they'd like more information about us. Now, we've heard we are one of three food retailers in the final nominations. It's all very exciting.

"We've been invited to the Food Show at Birmingham NEC at the end of November, when the results will be announced at an award ceremony. It's a great scoop, both for Real Meals and for the area."

The competition is open to all food retailers across the country. It particularly welcomes nominations for retailers who use locally-produced food, sell a wide range of products and have good community involvement, she said.

"Overall, the competition's ethos aims to promotes good standards of food and fair trade between producers, retailers and customers. It also raises awareness of the effects of globalisation on food and agriculture in developed and developing economies," she added.

Journalists from Radio 4's Food Programme visit the business today to record interviews for future broadcast.

Mrs Beswick and husband, Tim, are both former lecturers at Redcar College. They opened the Saltburn shop in 1998 and the Guisborough premises two years ago, when they were joined by Mrs Beswick's daughter, Lorna Jackson.

A former pupil at Huntcliff School and Sir William Turner Sixth Form College, the 29-year-old is also involved in plans for Guisborough's speciality market, where farmers and producers will have stalls selling locally-produced food on Saturday, December 7. A farmers' market was also recently launched at nearby Pinchinthorpe Hall Hotel.

In addition to selling Northern produce, Real Meals is highlighting other regional food during British Food Fortnight. This includes promoting traditional pies, dry cured bacon, black puddings, speciality sausages, game, eel, trout and cheese.

Earlier this year, Real Meals was awarded a silver medal for one of its pates in a competition held by the Guild of Fine Food Retailers