An Ashford firm has signed up as sponsor of National Butchers' Week which takes place next month.

Running between March 8-14 the week-long awareness campaign will celebrate retail butchers that have supported communities during the Covid crisis.

Among this year's sponsors is family firm Windsor Food Machinery, based in Hamstreet.

The company, which has been running for 26 years, is sponsoring the nationwide event and offering up a £4,299 burger machine for a butcher to win.

The firm's sales executive, Glen Kirton, said: “We feel it is imperative to get behind the businesses that have kept our nation supplied with top quality products and great customer service throughout the pandemic. Retail butchers especially have grasped the opportunity to capitalise on the extra local footfall and stepped up to other opportunities by offering home deliveries like never seen before.

"Catering Butchers have proved they are resilient by diversifying online and offering home deliveries too.

“All of this has been achieved under extremely challenging conditions like never seen before. Owners and staff of every business still operating over this period have had to work incredibly hard to supply, whilst knowing that by doing they have potentially put their own friends and family members at risk."

Head to our business page for all of the latest news about businesses in Kent