Nottinghamshire farm shop named best in the UK and staff say they are 'overwhelmed with joy'

A popular farm shop has been crowned the best in the UK in the Farm & Deli Awards 2024. Welbeck Farm Shop, near Worksop, ranks highly with shoppers who buy the fresh fruit and vegetables, locally sourced meat - some from the estate itself - and loaves and pastries from the bakehouse within the grounds.

Now it has impressed judges to scoop the title of UK Large Farm Shop of the Year and Midlands Retailer of the Year. Much of the produce is used by chefs in the Harley Cafe on the opposite side of the courtyard.

General manager Oliver Stubbins said: "We are overwhelmed with joy to have been awarded UK Large Farm Shop of the Year at the coveted Farm Shop and Deli Show and awards. The UK has an incredible farm shop industry, and we are delighted that after being shortlisted and mystery shopped by a previous winner, a panel of industry experts chose Welbeck for this prestigious award, and we also picked up Midlands Retailer of the Year.

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"We are privileged to work with amazing colleagues and suppliers, and we all thoroughly enjoy sourcing the best food and interacting with our wonderful visitors and friends at the shop and cafe. Thank you to all those who’ve supported us along our journey."

Welbeck beat Forage Farm Shop & Kitchen, Cowbridge, in Wales, and High Street Harvest, Craigavon, in Northern Ireland. A team of experts judged the entries online before coming together last November to deliberate and shortlist the contenders. During January and February, secret visits took place.

Nigel Barden, chairman of judges and food and drink journalist and broadcaster, said: "With food and drink retailers being busy people I’m always delighted they find time to enter the Farm Shop & Deli Awards and it’s gratifying to know that the awards are held in such high esteem."

Customers, reacting to the news on Facebook, were delighted by the success, which comes on top of the farm shop's butchery counter being named best by the UK Farm Retail Association in March. One said: "Many congratulations to you all! So well deserved. Looking forward to seeing you all again when we shop on Thursday after a lovely breakfast in the Harley Cafe. Can’t wait!" Another posted: "Brilliant, I get my meat from Welbeck, definitely worth the 40-minute drive."

Since opening in 2006, Welbeck has built a reputation for being one of the region's best farm shops. Other awards collected along the way include Midlands and East of England Butcher’s Shop of the Year 2022 and the crown for the best small farm shop at the Farm Shop and Deli Awards in 2020.

More than 70 per cent of the produce sold there is sourced or prepared on the Welbeck Estate. The counter sells beef from a herd of Belted Galloways, the estate's own lamb, seasonal game, and local free-range pork. The pork, with pistachio and apricot, won three coveted stars at the Great Taste Awards and was described by the judges as "very good quality, subtle, juicy and tender, with an excellent taste".