The National Farmers’ Retail & Markets Association (FARMA) has announced the winners of its Farm Retailer of the Year, Farmers’ Market of the Year and Best Farm Retail Newcomer. The Awards, and certificates for the regional finalists, were presented at the FARMA national conference in Torquay on 14 November.

The 2007 FARM RETAILER OF THE YEAR award, sponsored by Tyrrells Potato Chips, attracted an ‘A’ list of entries among which Chatsworth Farm Shop, Derbyshire was judged regional winner for the Midlands; Garsons, Esher, Surrey was regional winner for the south-east while, in the north, the Farmer’s Cart Farm Shop, near York, took the regional title. In the south west, Darts Farm Village, Exeter, Devon (above) won the regional round and went on the take the national title, Farm Retailer of the Year 2007, having excited the judges for its first-class retailing presentation, internal and external communications and team building work ethos, all based on a family-run farming business connected to its produce, community and environment.

The 2007 FARM RETAILING NEWCOMER award, sponsored by Windsor Food Machinery, attracted a similarly high-profile candidate list from businesses with three years or less of trading. Regional finalists were:
Midlands: Sunnyside Up Farm Shop, Lincolnshire
North: Farmer Copleys, Pontefract, West Yorkshire
Scotland: The Store, Edinburgh
South-east: Godshill Organic Farm Shop, Isle of Wight
Wales: Thornhill Farm Shop, Cardiff

However, it was the entry from the South-West that shone out for the judges. Lobbs Farm Shop, Heligan, St Ewe, Cornwall, owned and run by brothers Ian and Richard Lobb, was considered to show excellence in its presentation and marketing, based on own, local and the region’s produce. Benefiting from its proximity to the Lost Gardens of Heligan, a popular tourist attraction, it also has strong regard for its local customer base and repeat business.

The Award for best PICK-YOUR-OWN was presented for the first time this year, sponsored by The Grower magazine. Top honours went to Garsons, Esher which was, in the opinion of the inspector for the Award and the judging panel, exemplary in every way. The Award was assessed from the viewpoint of customers so that factors of customer service - such as ease of access, user-friendly layout, signage and information - were most important, along with crop range and quality. Garsons, owned and managed by the Thompson family, is also the largest PYO in the UK with some 200 acres on offer; however the judges were keen to stress that Garsons did not win the Award for the scale of its operation but for its professionalism.

Pick-Your-Own has been growing in popularity again in recent years as customers continue to find ways of engaging more directly with seasonal produce. One of its challenges is that, with the opening of each season, customers have to be reminded about its existence afresh.

 

WHO WILL BE CROWNED UKTV FOOD’S LOCAL FOOD HERO 2006?

In July, FARMA partnered with UKTV Food in the quest to find the UK’s favourite Local Food Hero. UKTV Food : Local Hero 2006 is a major new food award that seeks out and honours those people who go the extra mile to create great local food and offer valuable service to their community.

If you were nominated for the award, you should have received a window sticker and you’ll find your business listed permanently in the Local Food Hero directory on www.uktvfood.co.uk. There were over 4,000 businesses nominated and 40,000 public votes so the competition was extremely tough! UKTV Food has finally whittled down a shortlist of local food heroes from ten UK regions so now’s the time to find out who’s in the running to win the £40,000 prize and the coveted Local Food Hero 2006 title.

Witness the crowning glory of UKTV Food’s Local Hero by watching the series fronted by Gary Rhodes, weeknights at 8pm on UKTV Food.

If you didn’t make it through this year or you missed out on being nominated yourself, there will be plenty of opportunity to get involved next year. Please visit www.uktvfood.co.uk for more information.

 

THIS WEEK

27 November: Finalists from Wales

28 November: Finalists from the Midlands

29 November: Finalists from the South East

30 November: Finalists from Northern Ireland

1 December: Decides the overall winner – UKTV Food’s Local Food Hero 200

 

Details of all finalists and more information from www.uktvfood.co.uk

The Month Of Taste is a national campaign run by FARMA to encourage people to try and experience great local and seasonal foods available... all year round! But particularly between September and October, when a huge variety of great British local foods are being harvested and prepared. In this, the second year of the campaign, Celebrate the Month of Taste between 16 September and 22 October 2006!

Click here for more information

 

Launched this year, Local Hero 2006 is a major new food award from UKTV Food, supported by Enjoy England, FARMA and Lea & Perrins. The Awards seek out and honour those people who go the extra mile to create great local food and offer a valuable service to their community.

A people’s award, this is a tribute to everyone who helps put great British produce onto plates, into shops and markets and on pub and restaurant tables. It’s an appreciation by the people who shop and eat local food at regional outlets, including farm shops, farmers’ markets’ stallholders, pick-your-own fruit and vegetable farms, and home delivery schemes. If you are a primary producer; add value to locally sourced products; sell directly to customers; supply local shops; or provide food to schools - this is your chance to be recognised for excellence and commitment to quality. 

THE SEARCH
The nationwide search for Local Heroes will launch on 3 July across ten UK regions - Scotland, North East, North West, Midlands, Wales, South East, South West, East Anglia, London and Northern Ireland. Each region will have a ‘food detective’ championing heroes in their area. Viewers and members of the public will be asked to nominate and vote for their Local Food Hero and each nominee will receive a nomination pack containing window stickers and posters to encourage support from their customers.  Voting will take place from Monday 3 July until Monday 21 August on www.uktvfood.co.uk.  The winner of the Local Hero 2006 title will be decided in an original 11-part series aired in November on UKTV Food which will feature eight finalists going head to head to impress a panel of judges, headed by Gary Rhodes.

‘KEEP IT LOCAL’ SEASON
A special season of programming will be created around the Keeping It Local theme. Watch UKTV Food for a feast of viewing, which includes the Heaven’s Kitchen series, fronted by Mike Robinson, James Martin Digs Deep, and the Local Food Heroes 2006 series. There is also plenty more action with the famed Jimmy’s Farm series too. The season will start at the beginning of October and ends with the Local Food Heroes 2006 series. In addition, short clips of nominees will be available on www.uktvfood.co.uk, and a selection broadcast on Great Food Live, UKTV’s daily flagship show. Across the channel, clips of nominees will be incorporated into 30 second promotional trails, from 3 July until 21 August, shown on all UKTV’s lifestyle channels. 

THE PRIZE - YOUR WISH IS GRANTED!
As well as the title, the winner receives a prize which promises to plough money back into local businesses and the community. Each shortlisted nominee names one thing that will make a massive difference to their business - perhaps a farm shop refurbishment, marketing campaign, new kitchens or operational facilities. For the ultimate winner of the series, their dream wish is granted. 

Local Food Heroes will be ...
passionate for their craft and career, take pride in being part of a local community, value their customers and make a difference to people’s daily lives.  They will be judged on how well they provide top quality, local and regionally sourced food while having respect for the land. Sound business practice will also be a factor.
You can be nominated by customers - or you can nominate yourself! 

Key dates
Launch 3 July 2006 on Great Food Live (weekdays 12.30pm with three repeats during the day) for one week, followed by a further week’s publicity from 14-18 August as the nominations phase draws to a close. Nominations and voting finish on 21 August.

Action
Visit the UKTV Food website today: www.uktvfood.co.uk for more information and to find out how to get yourself nominated!

ABOUT UKTV FOOD
UKTV is a network with ten channels, offering a range of quality programming covering comedy, drama, lifestyle, documentary and history. UKTV Food is dedicated to passionate food fans and attracts an impressive four million viewers every month. The food website, www.uktvfood.co.uk has 100,000 registered users and it’s increasing every week.
UKTV Food is available on Sky channel 145, Telewest channel 260, Top-Up TV channel 29 and NTL channel 808.