Farm Shop is FARMA Best Farm Retail Newcomer!
We're thrilled to be able to tell you that we have won a national award! The Farm Shop & Café at Doddington Hall has scooped the award for the Best Farm Retail Newcomer at this week's Farmers’ Retail & Markets Association (FARMA) Farm Retail Awards held in Newcastle.
The prestigious awards saw us compete with seven other farm retailers from across the UK - and win! We are thrilled.
Hall owner Claire Birch was at the Awards with husband James Birch, Head Chef Tom Doran and Farm Shop Manager Jenny Reeves. Both the Kitchen Garden and the Farm Shop & Café were opened to the public in June 2007, and today sees the Kitchen Garden supplying both the Café and Farm Shop with fresh seasonal vegetables.
Milly Stokes, one of this year’s judges and a former FARMA award-winner, commented, “Doddington Hall Farm Shop and Café will go far. It is a beautiful, well-designed venue in a delightful setting, offering delicious homegrown and homemade produce. The café’s reputation for inspiring seasonal dishes is well deserved. I wish them all the best for the future.’
FARMA also went on to say that: "The café-restaurant has gained an impressive regional reputation. Head chef Tom Doran is passionate about ‘proper cooking’, incorporating the abundance of seasonal fresh produce from the kitchen garden and the estate into his dishes, which he makes from scratch. The result is a creative and thoughtful menu that will inspire even the most regular visitors – which is perhaps why booking has become essential. Should the restaurant be full in summer, customers can enjoy barbecues featuring Lincoln Red burgers and Saddleback Lincolnshire Sausages, accompanied by a selection of homemade salads, organic breads and local beer. For something different, the restaurant hosts a series of cookery demos, and VegWatchers events to celebrate gluts of seasonal produce."
Just last month in the East Midlands Tourism Enjoy England Excellence Awards 2008, we were awarded a bronze award in the Access for All category, a bronze in the Taste of England category, a bronze in the Small Visitor Attraction category and then a Gold in the Sustainable Tourism category. Earlier this year Doddington Hall was announced the Overall Winner in the Lincolnshire Environment Awards 2008.
Claire is exceptionally proud as this is something we are all very delighted to be part of. Many thanks to everyone involved with the Farm Shop & Cafe - staff, suppliers and customers alike - for playing a part in what has been an incredible 2008, which is finishing with an amazing national award as we head into the festive season. Thank you.
ENDS
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