The best farm retailers in the UK shortlisted for national awards

Thursday, November 16, 2023 - 11:02

Farm Retail Award winners 2023 Some of the very best farm retailers in the UK have been revealed after the Farm Retail Association announced its national finalists today.

Innovative and inspiring businesses from all corners of the country have been shortlisted across eight categories; from the Rising Star Award which celebrates business development and newcomers to the industry, to the Farm Shop Butchery of the Year Award.

Other categories include: Large Farm Shop of the Year (turnover over £1.5m); Small Farm Shop of the Year (turnover under £1.5m); Farmers’ Market of the Year; Farm Café/Restaurant of the Year; PYO of the Year; Associate Member of the Year.

Chair of the Farm Retail Association, Emma Mosey said: “Farm shops and farmers markets continue to be the nation’s retail beacons for sourcing fresh and nutritious produce with low food miles, from passionate and knowledgeable often family-run, independent businesses.

“It is right that we celebrate the crucial role that these invaluable food and drink retailers play at the heart of the communities they serve. Running throughout our finalists are inspiring stories of innovation, consistent quality produce and customer service excellence: terrific achievements and qualities that have been demonstrated during a challenging period for retailers amid the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

“Congratulations to everyone who is shortlisted and good luck. This is your time to shine, and we are looking forward to celebrating your achievements in March at our grand awards ceremony!”

The awards (sponsored by specialist retailer COOK) will take place on Tuesday 5^th March at Holiday Inn Peterborough West as part of the FRA’s annual Stronger Together event, 2024.

The ceremony will follow a day of behind-the-scenes retail tours, and conference day which will include topical workshops and expert guest speakers.

The category of Pick Your Own Farm (PYO) of the Year, was shortlisted in July as judging took place in the height of the PYO season. The finalists are:

Bells Farm Shop, Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire
Farmer Copleys, Pontefract, West Yorkshire
Horsforth Pick Your Own, Leeds, West Yorkshire

AWARDS SHORTLIST:

Large Farm Shop of the Year	Sponsored by Cunninghams EPOS Group
Millets Farm Shop	This family-run farm shop with in-house butchery, bakery, deli, cooked meat counter and fresh produce section, is supplied by Millets Farm which specialises in soft fruit and grows seasonal vegetables.	Frilford, Oxfordshire
Forage Farm Shop & Kitchen	Located on the Penllyn Estate, Forage is supplied with produce from the attached working farm. Beef, lamb and pork are all home-reared, with eggs coming from the large flock of laying hens.	Cowbridge, Vale of Glamorgan
Farmer Copleys	Farmer Copleys celebrates Yorkshire and British food and agriculture, with on-farm experiences. Still innovating in its 20th year, recent edition Copleys Kitchen produces jams, chutneys, gelato and ‘Spin the Honey’ from hives in an immersive production-retail combination.	Pontefract, West Yorkshire
Small Farm Shop of the Year	Sponsored by The Cress Co.
Bells Farm Shop	Bells family-run farm shop offers the taste of home-grown fruit and vegetables from its 40 acres of Pick Your Own, and has been doing so for more than 50 years.	Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire
Alder Carr Farm Shop	Nestled in the heart of the Suffolk countryside, Alder Carr Farm Shop champions local, seasonal and artisan produce, including its own butchery, and deli counter, and award-winning ice cream.	Needham Market, Suffolk
Cedarbarn Farm Shop and Café	Began as a PYO strawberries caravan 28 years ago and is now a thriving PYO, farm shop, café and miniature railway. Much of its produce is grown on its own farm and prepared by hand in-house.	Pickering, North Yorkshire
Farm Café/ Restaurant of the Year	Sponsored by Arrange Spaces
Millets Restaurants	The Farmhouse Kitchen at Millets Farm Centre was operated as a concession for 25 years until the third generation of the Carter family brought the catering offer back under their management to make the connection between field, farm and fork thrive.	Frilford, Oxfordshire
Runcton Farm Café	This family-owned farm shop café offers fresh, seasonal produce, harvested daily from its farm and is transformed during pop-up evenings into a space for evening dining.	Chichester, West Sussex
Cedarbarn Farm Shop and Café	Cedarbarn focuses on preparing traditional, wholesome food with the freshest ingredients, including homegrown fruit and vegetables and beef and lamb reared by co-founder, Karl Avison on the 200-acre family farm.	Pickering, North Yorkshire
Farm Shop Butchery of the Year	Sponsored by Angel Refrigeration
Welbeck Farm Shop	Launched in 2006, more than 70% of produce sold at Welbeck Farm is sourced or prepared at Welbeck estate, where an expanding beef herd of Belted Galloways is nearly ready for its butchery counters.	Worksop, Nottinghamshire
Millets Farm Shop	Millets’ butchery is recently refurbished, featuring a dry-aging cabinet showcasing its best cuts. Its butchery counter champions local producers and offers a ‘ready-to-cook’ range.	Frilford, Oxfordshire
Cedarbarn Farm Shop and Café	Cedarbarn’s on-site butchery offers its own home-reared beef and lamb, and customers can see their meat cut by Master Butchers on the block.	Pickering, North Yorkshire
Rising Star of the Year	Sponsored by Field Fare
Copleys Kitchen at Farmer Copleys	Copleys Kitchen produces jams, chutneys, gelato and ‘Spin the Honey’ from the hives in an immersive production/retail combination that is the culmination of a 12-year dream.	Pontefract, West Yorkshire
Runcton Farm Café	This family-owned farm shop café offers fresh, seasonal produce, harvested daily from its farm and is transformed during pop-up evenings into a space for evening dining.	Chichester, West Sussex
Forage Kitchen at Forage Farm Shop & Kitchen	Forage Kitchen’s 65-cover restaurant and takeaway is served with produce from the attached working farm. Beef, lamb and pork are all home-reared, with eggs coming from the large flock of laying hens.	Cowbridge, Vale of Glamorgan
Farmers Market of the Year	Sponsored by Dole
Abbey Leys Community Farmers Market	Food is at the fore of this farmers market which supports local farmers and producers to sell fresh produce direct to customers.	High Legh, Cheshire
Barnard Castle Farmers Market	Attracting buyers and traders from County Durham, Cumbria, North Yorkshire and Northumberland, this farmers market offers naturally reared and organic produce, artisan preserves, sauces and more.	Barnard Castle, Co. Durham
Marylebone Farmers Market	Popular with local residents and visitors to London, Marylebone Farmers Market offers more than 45 stalls selling produce direct from the farm and from artisan producers, including hot food stalls.	Marylebone, London
Associate Member of the Year
Arrange Spaces Ltd	Restaurant furnishing specialists focused on creating inspiring and profitable farm shop and garden centre restaurants.	Stroud, Gloucestershire
Just Desserts Yorkshire	Established in 1985 in Salt’s Mill, Just Desserts Yorkshire specialises in baking a range of more than 100 hand-crafted desserts.	Shipley, West Yorkshire
Fresh Retail	Fresh Retail is a small family-run consultancy business working with the UK farm retail sector to nurture business growth.	Skipton, North Yorkshire

To find out more about joining the Farm Retail Association, contact FRA Manager Laura Copeland on 01423 546214 or e-mail LauraJ@farmretail.co.uk

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