THE team at Sedgemoor Auction Centre have been named winners of the Mart's the Heart Auction Mart of the year in a nationwide contest.

They picked up the accolade at a ceremony in Birmingham.

A spokesperson for operators Greenslade Taylor Hunt said auctions and auctioneers are vital to the health and wellbeing of any farm businesses with livestock, and auctioneers are, in many ways, at the forefront of the industry.

They added: "Their purpose is to bring farmers together, to achieve the best price for whatever they are selling.

"They also provide an essential chance for the farming community to meet up."

At Sedgemoor, the Derek Mead Health Room provides busy farmers and agricultural workers the opportunity to receive health checks. Staffed by an NHS nurse, this drop-in service, can also offer support for emotional health and wellbeing.

The spokesperson added: "At Sedgemoor the team prides itself on the service it offers vendors and purchasers alike, along with the very highest standards of animal welfare.

"The purpose-built auction centre can offer 600 dairy cattle, 1,200 store cattle, 600 stirks, 600 calves, 2,500 store lambs, 2,000 cull ewes, 6,000 breeding ewes and 250 pigs on the same day.

"Bespoke lairage for stock, especially those travelling long distances, is part of the Sedgemoor ethos, ensuring animals arrive in the best possible condition."

Due to Sedgemoor’s location at Junction 24 of the M5, the market acts as a gateway to the West Country for buyers from around the UK. Purchasers regularly attend from Wales, Shropshire, Yorkshire, Norfolk and Cambridge.