award winners

Awarded by region, the accolades, recognise the commitment shown to customers, community, staff and suppliers

Nine independent food and drink businesses across the UK have won a Farm Shop & Deli Retailer Award, for outstanding commitment to their local community during the Covid crisis.

The criteria for this year’s awards, held in partnership with The Grocer, were changed to reflect the hard work undertaken by farm shops and specialist retailers during the pandemic.

Awarded by region, the 2021 accolades, sponsored by Garofalo and Food & Drink Wales, recognise retailers for the commitment shown to customers, community, staff and suppliers.

The judging panel comprised broadcaster, journalist and judges’ chair Nigel Barden; food writer and co-chair Elaine Lemm; British Baker editor Amy North; Paxton & Whitfield branch manager Hero Hirsh; The Grocer fresh foods reporter Henry Sandercock; and 2020 Retailer of the Year award winner Andy Swinscoe from The Courtyard Dairy.

A shortlist of 153 businesses was whittled down to 39 commended retailers, from which the nine winners were selected.

“The Farm Shop & Deli finalists have illustrated how crucial they are to their communities at a time when many consumers remained in their homes,” said Barden.

“This includes dedicated online businesses, which have witnessed huge growth during these difficult times, and traditional retailers, who increased their online offer.”

The winners were to have been announced today (6 July) at the Farm Shop & Deli Show held by William Reed Business Media, The Grocer publisher and Farm Shop & Deli Retailer Awards organiser.

With the show forced to postpone due to coronavirus restrictions, each winner today received a surprise package via courier notifying them of their success.

The winners and commended businesses in each region were:

East Anglia

Winner: Barron’s Mobile Shop, Colchester

Commended:

  • Ben & Ella’s Farm Shop, Artisan Bakery & Little Barn, Halstead
  • Blofield Farm Shop, Norwich
  • Saffron Fish Co, Saffron Walden
 

Midlands

Winner: The Farm Stratford, Stratford-upon-Avon

Commended:

  • Chatsworth Estate Farm Shop, Bakewell
  • Roberts Farmshop, Kingswinford
  • The Barn at Berryfields, Coventry
  • The Fruit Basket, Ludlow
 

North East

Winner: Corbridge Larder, Corbridge

Commended:

  • Arrow Fresh, Leeds
  • Farmer Copleys Farm Shop, Pontefract
  • Minskip Farm Shop, Boroughbridge
  • Town End Farm Shop, Skipton
 

North West

Winner: Seasons Bakery, Ingleton

Commended:

  • Hive Urban Farm Shop, Blackpool
  • Lovingly Artisan Bakery, Kendal
  • Low Howgill Butchers and Deli, Appleby-In-Westmorland
 

Northern Ireland

Winner: Wilsons Butchers, Co. Down

Commended:

  • Colemans Farm Shop, Templepatrick
 

Scotland

Winner: Pro Fish Services, Aviemore

Commended:

  • Balgove Larder, St Andrews
  • Provender Brown Deli, Perth
  • The Crieff Food Company, Crieff
  • The Spud Hut at Westerton Farmers, Laurencekirk
 

South East

Winner: Eggs To Apples Farm Shop, Hurst Green

Commended

  • Cowdray Farm Shop & Café, Midhurst
  • Daylesford Farm Shop, near Kingham
  • Magnificent Marrow, London
 

South West

Winners: Veg In A Box, Exeter

Commended

  • Brace of Butchers, Dorchester
  • Forest Deli, Coleford
  • The Barn at Severn & Wye, Westbury-on-Severn
  • Veyseys Butchers, Cullompton
 

Wales

Winner: Bodnant Welsh Food, Tal-y-cafn

Commended:

  • Babita’s Spice Deli, Swansea
  • Best of Hungary, Machynlleth
  • Square Farm Shop, Monmouth
  • The Olive Tree Delicatessen, Mold

Farm Shop & Deli Show 2022 returns to the NEC from Monday 25 April to Wednesday 27 April 2022. For more information visit the event’s website.

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