Food Producer of the Year: Great Food Club Awards 2023/24
Winner
Chosen by our judges:
Stonehurst Farm, Mountsorrel, Leicestershire
Shortlist
The top public vote-winners:
Stonehurst Farm, Mountsorrel, Leicestershire
Home Farm Produce, Grove, Retford, Nottinghamshire
March House Farm, Great Dalby, Leicestershire
Tori & Ben’s Farm, King’s Newton, Derbyshire
The winner is Stonehurst Farm – a superb family operation featuring a farm shop, teashop, open visitor farm, and a motor museum.
Conveniently located next to John’s House Restaurant, this farm is managed by the Duffin family. They grow organic bread wheat, heritage potatoes, and seasonal vegetables on-site.
The farm also rears Aberdeen Angus cattle and sheep, which graze on organic pastures, along with Gloucester Old Spot pigs and free-range laying hens.
Stonehurst Farm Shop is complemented by John’s House Artisan Bakery, providing fresh organic bread daily. Additionally, the shop offers a range of local products including fresh milk, bacon, ham, cheeses, and beers.
The Farmer’s Den Tea Shop is run by Tom’s sister, Emily. Michelin-starred John’s House Restaurant is run by Tom’s brother, John.
Stonehurst Farm is a true family affair and one of the region’s most authentic farm-to-fork locations.
The other finalists
Home Farm Produce, Grove, Retford, Nottinghamshire
Led by Paula, Matthew and their team, this farm-to-fork operation has earned its stripes with a prize-winning herd of Limousin cattle, Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs and free-range chickens. But what makes them stand out is the sheer quality and deliciousness of their food, from their home-raised meat to their farm-baked pies and cakes.
Their exceptional quality was recognised last year when they won three Great Taste gold stars for their free-range pork shoulder and an additional star for their handmade pork pie.
Committed to ethical practices, Home Farm avoids the routine use of antibiotics and chemicals, allowing their livestock to live in natural family groups. The result is a broad range of high-quality and extremely delicious homemade products – from meats to handmade pies and sausage rolls. Their new farm shop and cafe is open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10am-2pm, or you can order their produce online. Home Farm Produce exemplifies the true meaning of farm to fork.
Home Farm Produce also stands as a shining example of sustainable, high-quality, small-scale farming and food production.
March House Farm, Great Dalby, Leicestershire
Crowned Food Hero of the Year in our 2020/21 awards, March House Farm Shop in Great Dalby is a beacon for local, sustainable produce. The shop features an outstanding butchers’ counter stocked with grass-fed beef, lamb, and pork, all sustainably produced on the farm.
Summer brings a vibrant BBQ selection to the mix. Not to be outdone, March House’s homemade meat pies and Melton Mowbray pork pies have won accolades in the British Pie Awards.
Sustainability is integral to their operation, with solar panels powering the shop and regenerative agriculture practices on the farm.
Tori & Ben’s Farm, King’s Newton, Derbyshire
Awarded Farm Shop of the Year in the Great Food Club Awards for 2020/21, Tori & Ben’s Farm Butchery is run by farming couple Tori and Ben Stanley. Their butchers prepare an exceptional range of beef cuts from the farm’s award-winning pedigree Longhorns.
Lamb offerings hail from the farm’s pedigree flocks of Texel, Jacob, and Portland sheep. When you visit the shop, the team’s dedication to quality food and sustainable farming is palpable.
