On Friday BBC Radio 4 will be presenting this year's Food and Farming Awards on behalf of the Food Programme. Bradford's Soup Run has been short listed for a gong in the category of Best Dinner Lady (or man). JIM GREENHALF reports.

John Tempest must be mellowing. The feisty director of Bradford's Soup Run actually allowed BBC Radio to have an inside view of his Friday night operation at work.

In all the 21 years the charity has been dishing up nourishing soup and hot drinks to the city's down and outs, Mr T has never, to my knowledge, allowed a photo-journalist, TV crew or even a newspaper reporter anywhere near The Pavilion, where the feeding of the famished takes place.

He has always argued that the Soup Run's clientele are not objects of pity or passing sociological interest, but human beings down on their luck who should be afforded the normal courtesy and dignity of dinner guests.

So why change now?

"There was a TV crew down here for the programme Missing about missing persons; but they didn't film the Soup Run in operation," Mr Tempest said.

A self-confessed Radio 4 fan, he originally entered the Soup Run for the Food Programme's annual awards. The idea appealed to his sense of humour and to the pride he takes in the quality of food that he insists upon.

"We had originally suggested the best category for us was Best Takeaway but, because we feed so many people, the judging panel felt we should be considered for the Best Dinner Lady or Man.

"The two other finalists in our category are both schools and we, too, are very aware of the importance of children being fed properly. We are nevertheless pleased that the judges have included us.

"They thought we were in the wrong category. I have no idea what the award actually is," he added.

Dr Martin Caraher, Reader in Food and Health Policy at London's City University, came to Bradford to observe the preparation of the Soup Run's famous stew. A BBC Radio reporter came too.

"He questioned us regarding our policy of serving the best food we can to those who need it most. Then he came on our Soup Run and spoke to those we had just fed to find their views on what they had just eaten.

"Last year the Food Programme did a programme about markets. They came and interviewed Donald Pickup and David Crompton from Pickup's butchers in the Oastler Centre. We buy our meat from them.

"We showed Martin Caraher where we buy our bread from - the Village Bakery in Heaton. We had to go to five different bakeries before we found exactly what we wanted: bread you could dunk in soup without leaving the bread behind."

Part of the Soup Run's weekly bill of about £440 covers the cost of fruit which John Tempest buys from Morrisons.

"They give us a donation of fruit every month as well. Now on that week we could reduce what we buy from them, but we don't. If we have extra fruit we give it away to our clients. Last month Morrisons gave us 240 tins of soup," he said.

Do not assume that Mr Tempest and his helpers have simply tipped the tins into their regular Friday evening stew pot. This stew already has 20 nutritious ingredients including steak and kidney and vegetables. Those extra tins may have found their way into the ten or dozen two-day bags they prepare every week.

These bags contains supplies for those people who, for one reason or another, are unable to find their own food.

"It happens that people have a blip in their lives and run out of food. If they contact me they can take away one of these bags and keep themselves fed. We don't give them away to the same people every week."

Mr Tempest may have a heart of gold but the skin above it is weather-beaten and tough. If he was a soft touch who wore his heart on his sleeve the Soup Run would not have survived for 21 years because Mr Tempest would not have had the bottle to hustle for the things he needs.

Apart from giving away nourishing meals, snacks and hot drinks to 20 to 30 people a week, the Soup Run also supplies blankets, bedding and a change of clothing.

Hence his Chox 'n' Sox - chocolates and socks appeal.

"If you're walking around all day you wear your socks out, and it's pretty cold," he said. Chocolate, of course, serves a dual purpose as a comfort food and as a generator of energy.

Every Christmas-time the Soup Run prepares a slap-up meal for up to 120 people. I did not know until I met Mr Tempest recently that for many years the ingredients for this Yuletide blow-out have been provided by the Lord Mayor's office at City Hall.

"They ask us what we require and we give them a list. We arrange with David Hirons, the catering manager, for the best time to collect the ingredients.

"We pick them up and cook the meal. Usually it is chicken in a white creamy sauce. It is delicious. We start off with soup and bread and finish off with gateaux, tea and coffee, biscuits and fruit," Mr Tempest said.

Normally John Tempest is wary of tangling the Soup Run with officialdom. He won't, for example, accept grants either from local government or central government.

"The Christmas dinner is nice because the Lord Mayor is non-political. Our stance is that we remain apart from party politics."

This year's Soup Run Christmas dinner is likely to be served on December 29.

"If we do it before everybody will be running around trying to fit everything in. By doing it afterwards we can amalgamate Christmas with the New Year and wish everyone a happy new year," he added.

l Any organisation wanting to contribute to the Chox 'n' Sox appeal or to the Soup Run in any other way should contact John Tempest on 07866-459-148.