| 2008 North East regional winners |
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Four Northumberland businesses are celebrating winning North East regional titles in the Countryside Alliance Awards and will now vie for a national title against winners from the rest of Britain. Local Food Award: Brocksbushes Farm Shop, Stocksfield, Northumberland www.brocksbushes.co.uk 01434 633100. Regional Director and Head Judge Richard Dodd commented: “We were impressed with the amount of food that is prepared in the kitchens by four chefs who prepare for the tea room and for the farm shop. Only one product was bought in! Turnover will be significant with the fruit business being the start of the business many years ago, and the road side position has meant it has developed year on year. The business now has 45 staff with farm shop, tearoom, pick your own. This is a local food powerhouse in the North East.” Village Shop / PO Award: Belsay Shop, Belsay, Northumberland, 01661 881207. Richard says: “The shop keeper had a Post Office as part of the shop that paid a salary into the shop which would have been a major source of income. The Post Office decided to close the sub-Post Office and replace with an outreach Postmistress twice a week for two hours, paying rent for space in the shop, Belsay Estate, who own the shop, rejected this so it was agreed that Stephanie Jarron could re-open as a Partner Outreach where she is paid to offer a post service that she now has to fund to keep the service and the footfall into the shop. The closure programme by the PO was a blunt instrument that got it wrong closing places by geographical means. The shop is a happy place that also takes in many local products and is an appreciated community hub for the local community.” Traditional Business Award: The Feathers Inn, Stocksfield, Northumberland, www.thefeathers.net/ 01661 843607. Richard says: “This is already a winner in other competitions and it is easy to see why! It is a traditional village pub doing very local food! All the products are sourced locally, apart from things like lemons etc. The chef said if it can’t be local it is not on the menu. There is great support from the local village and area, it is a family business, the engine being the son who is the chef, front of house is his wife and mother and father help in the background as does his sister. They promote local game, buy meat in carcass form and create their own cuts, make their own black pudding, all the beers were local and they used local items like Alnwick Rum. The menu also suggests what wines to choose and there is a buzzing enthusiasm to get it right.” Enterprise Award: The Country Barn, Widdrington, Morpeth, Northumberland www.thecountrybarn.co.uk/ 01670 760181. Richard says: “We have judged this 3 times now so we have seen this grow from the redundant farm buildings it once was to now having a gift shop, tea room, and farm shop. The meat comes from the farm (beef and lamb) the two sons are now contributing to the farm and the shop. It would have been easier to convert the buildings into houses but the family have been there since the 15th century and that just wasn’t an option! Also what makes this a different story is the location, in part of one of the most deprived areas in the country, this is an old mining area so there has not been a lot of money locally. And it is now a good employer with 35 full and part time staff.” |
