Free digital copy
Get Speciality Food magazine delivered to your inbox FREE
Get your free copy04 April 2011, 15:10 PM
- A Bristol-based food hub was named Local Food Champion of 2010 at the Countryside Alliance Awards, held at The Houses of Parliament last week
Farrington’s Farm Shop, which has evolved from being a small tenant farm to one of the area’s leading local food champions, beat off competition from food businesses across the country.
A prize-giving reception was held at The House of Lords last Wednesday (March 30th) and owners Tish and Andy Jeffrey travelled to London to accept their gong from Defra Minister Richard Benyon MP.
Alice Barnard, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, told the reception: “Our regional judge declared this to be the best farm shop she has ever been to. And when Alison is impressed, you know it’s good!
“Tish & Andy Jeffery are tenant farmers who started off with 230 acres and 100 cows. Despite Foot and Mouth, Farrington’s has now grown into a busy farm shop with its own bakery and cow-themed café with outdoor cow pat-io.”
“There is huge enjoyment and humour here, and great efforts are made to connect customers with what they are buying, supporting local producers as they do so. Demonstrations, cookery classes, tastings and a loyalty card scheme all involve the customer, and a commitment to animal welfare is also evident,” adds Ms Barnard.
The Countryside Alliance Awards, nicknamed the ‘Rural Oscars’, have been running for six years and were set up to celebrate the characters, produce, traditions and enterprise of the countryside through the people who work so hard to keep it going.
