Winner
Chosen by our judges:
Mee Blueberries, Nassington, Northamptonshire
Shortlist
The top public vote-winners:
Mee Blueberries, Nassington, Northamptonshire
Cote Hill Cheese, Osgodby, Lincolnshire
Gelston Lamb, Gelston, Lincolnshire
Picks Organic Farm, Barkby Thorpe, Leicestershire
The winner is Mee Blueberries – a unique family-run business with a wonderful story.
Based at Lyveden Farm, Nassington, and led by Peter and Zoe Mee alongside their children, Charlie and Emily, Mee Blueberries grows delicious blueberries using sustainable practices. Since diversifying their 700-acre arable farm in 2014, the Mee family has developed a successful blueberry operation, producing enough fruit to supply major supermarkets. They now cultivate seven blueberry varieties, including Sweet Jane, Peachy Blue, and Sekoya Crunch, each offering a distinct flavour and texture.
With 56,000 blueberry plants and every berry handpicked, the farm harvested over 200 metric tons of blueberries last year — equivalent to around 4 million berries!
Sustainability is at the heart of Mee Blueberries’ operations. From innovative crop rotations that enhance soil health to solar panels powering the business, the family’s commitment to the environment is clear. In 2022, they were crowned Family Farming Business of the Year, followed by a win in the FWAG East Conservation Farm of the Year in 2023.
Beyond fresh blueberries, Mee Blueberries makes an array of products, including jams, chutneys, balsamic vinegars and their award-winning blueberry juice. Their in-house range is available via their web shop and pop-up farm shop, and their blueberry ice cream, created in collaboration with local producer Ganders Goat, is a local favourite.
The farm’s bee hives and 144,000 British bumblebees are essential to the farm’s pollination process, ensuring nature plays its part in this thriving business.
Signature products:
- Blueberry juice (recent winner of a Great Taste Gold Star)
- Blueberry vodka
- Blueberry ice cream (in partnership with Ganders Goat)
- Blueberry balsamic vinegar
- Blueberry jam
Mee Blueberries is a worthy winner of this year’s GFC Food Producer of the Year award, thanks to its innovative, sustainable approach and exceptional produce.
The other finalists
Gelston Lamb, Gelston, Lincolnshire
Gelston Lamb is a family-run farm on 200 acres near Grantham, led by Chris and Louise Elkington. Since starting with 30 ewe lambs in 2010, they have grown their flock to 500 breeding ewes, with a goal of reaching 600. The farm embraces sustainable practices like rotational grazing and the introduction of herbal leys to benefit the environment.
Committed to a farm-to-fork approach, Gelston Lamb provides top-quality lamb, hogget and mutton directly to the public and local restaurants, including The Chequers at Woolsthorpe. Their monthly pop-up market brings together other local producers, offering a true taste of the region. All their meat is reared naturally and hung for up to 10 days for optimum flavour.
Cote Hill Cheese, Osgodby, Lincolnshire
The Davenport family has been dairy farming for over 60 years, and for the last 16, they have been crafting award-winning cheeses. Their on-farm vending machine offers a selection of their five cheeses, including the renowned Cote Hill Blue and their newest creation, Cote Hill Snowdrop. In 2024, Cote Hill Snowdrop was crowned Supreme Champion at the British Cheese Awards, beating over 600 competitors.
Visitors to the farm can also buy fresh raw milk from the self-serve machine, and the family’s commitment to quality and sustainability shines through in everything they do. Mary Davenport remarked: “Winning a British Cheese Award is every cheesemaker’s dream.”
Picks Organic Farm, Barkby Thorpe, Leicestershire
With a farming history dating back to the early 1600s, Picks Organic Farm has remained a staple of the Leicestershire food scene. The Pick family follows strict organic principles, raising free-range chickens, ducks, geese, lambs and cattle to the highest welfare standards. Their commitment to sustainability and ethical farming ensures that all their animals are reared without unnecessary additives, pesticides or hormones.
In addition to meat, the farm produces honey from their own beehives and a vibrant selection of organic vegetables. Their farm shop offers a treasure trove of fresh, nutrient-rich produce, all raised in harmony with nature.
