Welsh Awards Honour Farm Shop

The gold award for Retailer of the Year went to Harwarden Estate Farm Shop in Flintshire.

“It’ll be displayed in pride of place, along with last year’s award,” said Alan Downes, manager.

“A lot of hard work goes into the shop but the feedback from our customers – and recognition like this – makes it worth it,” he said.

18 months after the shop opened, Mr Downes recorded a footfall of approximately 2,000 customers a week.

“We’re developing all the time. When we opened we were really pleased with our displays; now when we look back we can see how much we’ve improved,” he said.

This enthusiasm and hard work is matched by his colleagues.

“I look for passion in my staff. If they’re real foodies they can get excited about the story behind each product, and will be able to pass that enthusiasm on to our customers,” explained Mr Downes.

Prior to his role at the shop, Mr Downes worked for many years at Asda, where a growing interest in local sourcing led him to independent retail.

The silver and bronze awards in the category for Retailer of the Year went to Llwynhelyg Farm Shop and Andrew Rees & Sons Ltd respectively.

The Wales True Taste Food & Drink Awards 2009 were held in Abergavenny for the eighth consecutive year, celebrating quality food and the achievements of those championing it.

Details of the products and producers recognised in this year’s awards can be found at www.truetaste.tv