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Back in October eleven Freedom Food producers picked up Fine Farm Produce Awards from the National Trust.
The awards, now in their fourth year, recognise those National Trust tenant farmers producing the finest tasting, top quality products, whilst rewarding and supporting local production, traceability and higher animal welfare.
Entry is subject to strict criteria, including National Trust environment standards and, for livestock and dairy products, organic and/or Freedom Food assurance. This year’s judges included food writer, broadcaster and founder of FoodLoversBritain.com Henrietta Green, restaurant owner Richard McGeown, who trained under Marco Pierre White, Gordon Ramsey and Raymond Blanc, and Rob Macklin, the National Trust’s Head of Agriculture.
Rob Macklin said: “The awards are given to only the very best produce from the places looked after by the National Trust. More than 80 per cent of the land we care for in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is farmed, and we work closely with many of our tenants in helping them develop high quality products.”
Henrietta Green added: “The standards set by the National Trust for these awards are extremely high. As someone who has pioneered the cause of the small British producer, it is so encouraging to see such fantastic regional British food delivering on quality, distinctiveness, provenance and taste.”
The winning products will now be able to use the prestigious Fine Farm Produce Award logo and many are available through the National Trust’s 150 local tea rooms and cafes as well as the winners’ own farm shops.
Freedom Food would like to congratulate the following members:
- The group of tenant farmers in Cumbria working with Booths supermarkets and the English Farming and Food Partnership to promote its award winning traditional beef.
- Rowland Pritchard and Colin Williams of South Wales for their Gower Salt Marsh Lamb.
- Nick and Helen Bonsall of Grove Farm in the Peak District for their dry-cured back bacon and Staffordshire Black bacon from their rare breed Tamworth and Gloucester Old Spot pigs.
- Richard and Clare Aldis from the 650-acre Hardwick Park Farm in Derbyshire, for their Longhorn Beef.
- The co-operative of tenant farmers from the Dolaucothi Estate in Carmarthenshire, South Wales for their Dolaucothi Lamb, sold in on selected Sainsbury’s fresh counters.
- Paul Boland, property manager at Llanerchaeron, for their lamb and pork loin chops from their rare welsh breed pigs and Llanwennog sheep, reared on the organic lowland farm.
- The Park family of Low Sizergh Farm on the edge of the Lake District for their traditional Lancashire Kendal Creamy Organic Cheese and Organic Milk.
- Stephen and Louise Harris, and Nick and Sarah Hoare of Wiltshire’s Stourhead Estate farm and shop for the Sirloin Steak from their Angus-Charolais cross cattle.
- James and Victoria Hawkins of Warren Farm on the National Trust’s Brockhampton Estate Herefordshire, for their Herefordshire Beef Topside.
- Wimpole Home Farm, one the Rare Breed Survival Trust’s Approved Conversation Centres, for its White Park prime rib of beef and rare-breed sausages.
- And last, but certainly not least, Yew Tree Farm, near Coniston in the Lake District, for their Herdwick Hoggest cutlets and leg.
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