The Farm Stratford has won Best Small Farm Shop & Best Restaurant in Farm Shop in a national award ceremony which celebrates the very best of the farm retail industry.
The Farm Stratford and Nourish restaurant were announced as winners for two awards across eight categories in the prestigious awards organized by the Farm Retail Association (FRA) which was formed in 1979.
The Farm Retail Awards, kindly sponsored by The EPOS Bureau, are the only awards to be judged by fellow farm retailers and celebrate the best farm shops, farm cafés and restaurants, farmers’ markets and trade suppliers in the country.
Chairman Rob Copley said: “Judging this year’s entries really was no mean feat. The FRA is proud to represent a sector that is bursting with imagination, full of innovation and most importantly, a real passion for quality British produce. A huge congratulations to all our winners, they are truly among the very best in the business.
“It has taken a superhuman effort by everyone in farm retail over the last 12 months to adapt to very different ways of doing business and serving customers. All of our winners can take great pride in what they have achieved and they can look to the future with great confidence.”
Awards included the ‘Rising Star Award’ which champions newcomers to the industry. The Lifetime Achievement Award recognises an individual who has made a lasting impression on the industry. 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; Pick Your Own of the Year.
The awards ceremony was opened by celebrity chef Rosemary Shrager and is part of the FRA’s annual industry conference. Entitled ‘Stronger Together 2021’, this year’s event features expert guest speakers, topical workshops and virtual farm shop tours throughout the week (1st-5th March). The five-day online event is kindly sponsored by NFU Mutual.
As part of the event, David Hughes, Emeritus Professor of Food Marketing at Imperial College London, explains how farm retailers can stay a step ahead of the supermarkets, and John Farrand, Managing Director of the Guild of Fine Food joins Matt Bunch of The Camden Grocer to share insights on running a slick deli counter.
How to better connect with the Over 55s – the demographic with the largest growth in uptake of online shopping in 2020 – is discussed by consumer specialist Kate Hardcastle MBE and broadcaster Harry Gration MBE, while Susan Hallam MBE advises on how to make digital marketing cost effective.
A programme of workshops delve into using data to grow revenue, the value of loyalty schemes, solving HR headaches, butchery trends and techniques, and much more.
The virtual conference and awards celebrations have been organized by FRA managing agents Yorkshire Agricultural Society.
The FRA is open to thousands of independent retailers across the UK and offers its members support, training, workshops and open days.
