Canalside Farm Shop at Great Haywood has been named Small Farm Shop of the Year at a prestigious awards ceremony at the Nottingham Belfry.

The national awards, which celebrate the best of the farm retail industry, are organised by the Farm Retail Association (FRA). The ceremony took place on 3 March.

This family-run Staffordshire business has been growing produce for over 35 years, with owner Chris Barton at the helm.

“To say that we are absolutely thrilled and delighted to win this award is an understatement,” said Chris. “When you consider the standard and number of farm shops across the UK, it really is an honour just to have been shortlisted. We cannot thank our staff and customers enough for their continued loyalty and support over the last 35 years. Our farm shop has grown and changed a lot in that time, and it is only with the continued support of our customers, that we have been able to achieve what we have.”

Canalside has been transformed in the last 8 years, as Sauce found when we spoke to the family for our autumn/winter 2018 issue. This has included building a brand new café and complete renovation of the farm shop, with the introduction of an on-site butchery, bakery and delicatessen. Since then, both have gone from strength to strength, creating 40 new jobs and selling more than 100,000 punnets of strawberries, 20,000 home-made sausage rolls and over 110,000 cups of coffee.

“The Farm’s aim has always been to source high quality, local food and drink, from farms and producers within a 30 mile radius, whilst continuing to produce our own fruit, vegetables and bedding plants, here on the Farm,” Chris added. “The expansion of our farm shop has also enabled us to make even more of our own produce here on the Farm and the introduction of our butchery has made a big difference. Our team of qualified butchers now make all of our meat products here on the premises, supplying both our farm shop and café, meaning our customers know exactly where their food is coming from.”

The Farm Retail Awards 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. Canalside were finalists in the Farm Café/Restaurant of the Year category as well as Small Farm Shop of the Year. If you would like to pay them a visit, Canalside Farm Shop and Café are open every day from 9:00 until 17:00.

Canalside Farm Shop and Café
Mill Lane, Great Haywood, Stafford, ST18 0RQ
canalsidefarm.co.uk