Businesses from 10 regions in the UK were nominated and voted for by the public on the Good Food Channel website.
Presenters Matt Tebbutt and Matthew Fort visited the shortlisted businesses for a feature on Market Kitchen.
A panel of expert judges then chose one winner from each the 10 regions, all of whom appeared as guests on Market Kitchen.
[1] In previous years, celebrity chefs Gary Rhodes, Ollie Rowe and Rosemary Shrager presented and judged the competition as a stand-alone show.
The overall winner Local Food Hero 2009 was The Dinner Ladies,[1] school caterers from Wilmslow in Cheshire.