For the first time ever, each of the winners of the individual awards went through to fight it out to be the FARMA Retail Champion of 2015. The Retail Champion Award is awarded to the business that showed exceptional quality, an outstanding focus on detail and goes that extra mile.

In this the first year, the FARMA Retail Champion Award was awarded to Parkside Farm PYO in Middlesex

“This is the first year to name the FARMA Retail Champion.

This new award can be given to the winner of any of the categories in the competition. The judges are therefore particularly pleased to recognise the enormous contribution made to the local food industry by one of our members from the Pick Your Own sector.

Over the years Park Farm have won the PYO award every time that they have been eligible to enter which reflects the high level of crop husbandry and attention to detail displayed by this dedicated PYO unit which sells 100% of the farm’s production direct to the public.

This business gives so many people a real "hands on" experience of where their food comes from and the judges were not surprised to see it receive a great Shopper Anonymous report, even though the visit was made on the very last day of the season - quite an achievement!

Well done to the Whitman family and to all their team.”

Mike Blee, Chairman of the FARMA Awards Judging Committee

“It is a great honour and privilege for us to receive the FARMA Retail Champion 2015 award, and proves that the Pick-Your-Own concept can still be relevant and popular, provided we keep adapting to change”
Richard Whitman, Parkside PYO.

This award has been sponsored by Lakeland Computers PLC.

The category winners were:

The FARMA Small Farm Shop of the Year.
Sponsored by Bookers

Villa Farm Shop    West Yorkshire

Sam Gill, Manager of Villa Farm Shop “We are delighted to have won the FARMA Small Farm Shop of the Year Award.  It is a great achievement and a true recognition of our team’s hard work.  We are committed to offering quality local produce and excellent service.  Our customers are important to us and all members of the team enjoy building a rapport with them."


The FARMA Large Farm Shop of the Year.
Sponsored by Cotswold Fayre Ltd

Darts Farm Shop Devon

“We are thrilled to win such a prestigious award and to gain recognition for all the hard work our team put into the business day-in day-out. This award is particularly special for us as it has been judged by farm shop experts who know the industry inside out. We would like to thank our loyal customers and all the fantastic producers who have supported us over the years.

For us what has been crucial is keeping the values of the business at the core of all our business decisions. Our values have not changed since my father, Ronald Dart, starting the business more than 40 years ago. We are passionate about supporting a thriving local, farming community and believe in offering the best locally sourced and artisan products to our customers.” Michael Dart

The FARMA Farm Butcher of the Year.
Sponsored by EBLEX

The Welbeck Farm Shop Nottinghamshire

“We’re so proud to have won this award. Our butchery is the very heart of the shop and the butchers work really hard to drive it forward. This is not just recognition for their hard work and talent, but inspiration to keep growing, learning and developing.” Katy Fenwick

The FARMA Farm Restaurant of the Year.
Sponsored by The Andrew Connolly Practice

Doddington Restaurant & Café Lincolnshire

“We were told we were a finalist a few months ago which in itself was brilliant news,” explains Claire Birch who runs Doddington Hall alongside her husband James. “Our Farm Shop was voted Best Newcomer Farm Shop of the Year in 2011 so we have always wanted to get the same recognition for our Restaurant. Knowing that our fellow FARMA members believe passionately about quality and local food with maximum provenance - as we do – we knew the standards would be high.”

The FARMA PYO of the Year.
Sponsored by H L Hutchinson

Parkside Farm PYO Middlesex

“I am really pleased for all the staff at Parkside Farm to receive the FARMA PYO of the Year 2015 award. We “worked our socks off” last season, and are greatly encouraged by this recognition.” Richard Whitman

The FARMA Farmers Market of the Year.
Sponsored by NFU Mutual Rick Management Service

St Ives Farmers’ Market Cambridgeshire

“We are simply over joyed and still buzzing with the excitement of winning this prestigious award” Annette Ablewhite, Market Manager

The FARMA Newcomer of the Year.
Sponsored by The Cress Company

Maxeys Farm Shop Nottinghamshire

“We are so thrilled to have won; it’s a great achievement for our fantastic team of staff. Great to have the recognition from FARMA with the Newcomer Award that shows we are achieving the standards expected within our industry.” Katharine Maxey

“The FARMA awards are not only important within the farm retailing world but are seen by the general public as a real reward for the passion and business acumen displayed by both those shortlisted and our winners.

It is no small matter to get together an award entry; only the exceptional entries get to the shortlisted stage. The farm retail bar keeps getting higher and higher as new retailers see what can be achieved. This year is no exception.” Sally Jackson, Chair of FARMA.