Bakery businesses have been recognised in the 2018 Farm Shop & Deli Awards.
Filbert’s Bakery in Lancaster was named Baker of the Year, while Hobbs House Bakery in Tetbury, South Gloucestershire was the South West regional winner.
Announced this week at the Farm Shop & Deli Show in Birmingham’s NEC, the awards recognised 13 category winners and nine regional winners. The accolades celebrate the best specialist independent retailers in the UK, with judges looking for high levels of service, product knowledge, initiative, innovation and community involvement.
Winners were chosen by a panel of retail, fine food and food media experts, chaired by BBC Radio 2 presenter and food aficionado Nigel Barden and including British Baker editor Vince Bamford.
Paper judging produced a shortlist of the best, some of which then underwent mystery guest testing.
“Many miles have been covered in search of the finest food and drink retailers in the UK,” said Barden.
“There are some truly talented, imaginative and passionate food purveyors within our shores, whom we should celebrate and support. The Farm Shop & Deli Awards provides the perfect platform for bringing them to our attention, including those selling their wares solely online.”
The ultimate accolade of Retailer of the Year went to butcher Edge & Son in Birkenhead, the Wirral, with judges’ comments ranging from a respect for the highly ambitious management and innovative plans for the future, to its traditional and native, yet rare product stock and its commitment to sustainability.
Farm Shop & Deli Awards 2018 winners
- Baker of the Year: Filbert’s Bakery (Lancaster)
- Butcher of the Year and North West winner: Edge & Son (Birkenhead)
- Cheesemonger of the Year: The Courtyard Dairy (Austwick)
- Delicatessen of the Year and South East winner: The Goring Grocer (Reading)
- FarmShop – Large Retailer of the Year and Midlands winner: Denstone Hall Farm Shop & Café (nr Uttoxeter)
- FarmShop – Small Retailer of the Year: Welbeck Farm Shop (Worksop)
- Fishmonger of the Year: Fyne Fish (Cockermouth)
- Foodhall of the Year: Webbs (Droitwich Spa)
- Greengrocer of the Year: Rafters (Driffield)
- Commended: Oakchurch Farm Shop (Hereford)
- Market of the Year: West Malling Farmers’ Market (West Malling)
- Newcomer of the Year: The Goring Grocer (Reading)
- Online Business of the Year and North East winner: Farmison & Co (Ripon)
- Village Store/Local Shop of the Year: FINK (York)
Regional awards also went to:
- East Anglia: The Gog Farm Shop, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
- Northern Ireland: Cunningham’s Butchers and Food Hall, Kilkeel, Co Down
- Scotland: Blair Drummond Smiddy Farm Shop, Blair Drummond, Stirling
- South West: Hobbs House Bakery, Tetbury, South Gloucestershire
- Wales: Rhug Farm Shop, Corwen, Denbighshire
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