The new Rural Enterprise Centre at the Royal Bath and West Showground is to be officially opened on January 25.

The Bath and West Society’s former office building at the Bath and West Showground has undergone a £520k refurbishment, transforming it into a cutting edge Rural Enterprise Centre. This is hoped to become the hub of rural enterprise across Somerset and the south west of England, encouraging knowledge sharing, education and business growth amongst the rural community.

Rupert Cox, CEO of the Bath and West Society, said: “As the Society refocuses its attention on delivering our charitable objectives of ‘encouraging agriculture, manufacture, commerce & rural crafts’, the opening of the Rural Enterprise Centre will be the catalyst for delivering innovation and enterprise, not least for the food & drink sector through our soon-to-be-completed commercial test kitchen and the formation of the Food & Drink Business Network. We wish to mark this momentous occasion by holding a celebratory event for our members and supporters, giving the opportunity for people to tour the new facility and hear our vision for the future of the centre.”

The winner of the new joint Thatchers Cider and Bath & West Society Award for up-and-coming food and drink producers will also be announced at the event on January 25.

Open for entries until January 19, the award will offer one regional food or drink producer at the start of their business journey the opportunity to spend time with Martin Thatcher at the home of Thatchers Cider at Myrtle Farm, Sandford. The award recipient will receive unique insight into how Thatchers Cider has developed and what has led to its recent growth, direct from Martin - the fourth generation of his family to head the company.