Farm Shop & Deli Awards 2018: finalists announced

The 2018 judging panel of industry experts met up last November for a day of evaluation and deliberation, followed by secret visits and mystery shopping trips over the next couple of months.

Chair of judges Nigel Barden, co-chair of judges Elaine Lemm and John Gill, head of commercial operations and buyer at Boots, were just some of this year’s judges who were called upon to whittle down the category finalists.

2018 marks the fifth year of the awards, which sees their success and reputation grow from strength to strength each year. The awards celebrate the very best standards, levels of service, production innovation and community involvement in the sector.

Nigel Barden, chair of judges said, “It’s gratifying to see lots of new names amongst the finalists as the awards are becoming even more respected. The food and drink sector continues to attract inventive and hard working entrepreneurs, many of whom have transferred their business skills from other industries.”

The awards continue to commend retailers’ success in speciality sectors and regions respectively. Category awards include 13 different specialisms, including Baker of the Year, Delicatessen of the Year and Online Business of the Year. Plus, over 10 per cent of the total entries also qualified as Newcomer of the Year contenders, and are represented in over half of the 13 categories.

Victoria Robertshaw, whose Keelham Farm Shop was awarded Supreme Champion last year, joined the judging panel for the 2018 edition. She said, “I have loved the judging process – it has been fun and there’s such a nice mix of fellow judges from the industry including chefs, retailers, journalists and publishers. As a retailer it’s great to see how people view it from the outside and I have enjoyed the debates amongst the other judges.”

FINALISTS OF THE FARM SHOP & DELI AWARDS:

BAKER OF THE YEAR:
Bondgate Bakery / Filbert’s Bakery / Hambleton Bakery / Hobbs House Bakery / Jervaulx Abbey Tearooms

BUTCHER OF THE YEAR:
Cunninghams Butchers and Food Hall / Edge & Son / Low Howgill Butchers & Deli

CHEESEMONGER OF THE YEAR:
Love Cheese / Paxton & Whitfield, Chelsea Green, London / The Courtyard Dairy

DELICATESSEN OF THE YEAR:
Chandos Deli / No2 Pound Street/ The Goring Grocer / The Hungry Guest / The Norfolk Deli / Thornham Deli

FARM SHOP – LARGE RETAILER OF THE YEAR:
Becketts Farm / Chatsworth Estate Farm Shop /Denstone Hall Farm Shop & Café / Farmer Copleys Ltd / Mainsgill Farm Shop / The Udder Farm Shop

FARM SHOP – SMALL RETAILER OF THE YEAR:
Blair Drummond Smiddy Farm Shop / Cedarbarn Farm Shop / Etherington’s Farm Shop / Fordhall Organic Farm / Rhug Farm Shop / The Gog Farm Shop / The Lambing Shed Farm Shop and Café / Three Trees Farm Shop & Cafe / Waterloo Cottage Farm/ Welbeck Farm Shop

FISHMONGER OF THE YEAR:
Dabs & Crabs / Fyne Fish / Latimers Seafood Ltd / The Fresh Fish Shop Ltd

FOOD HALL OF THE YEAR:
Delifonseca Dockside / Fodder / Great Cornish Food Store / Ludlow Food Centre / Webbs

GREENGROCER OF THE YEAR:
Oakchurch Farm Shop / Rafters of Driffield

MARKET OF THE YEAR:
Lenham Country Market / West Malling Farmers Market

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR:
Blair Drummond Smiddy Farm Shop / Great Cornish Food Store / Love Cheese / Low Howgill Butchers & Deli / The Goring Grocer / The Lambing Shed Farm Shop and Café

ONLINE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR:
Eat Great Meat Limited / Farmer’s Choice Free Range / Farmison & Co Village Store

LOCAL SHOP OF THE YEAR:
Fink / R Campbell & Son Limited/ Shropshire’s Own