East Yorkshire farm diversification businesses win national award

Tom and Gill Mellor
Tom and Gill Mellor

Directors and staff at Hunmanby Grange's three farm diversification businesses are celebrating after winning a prestigious award in a national farming competition.

Wold Newton based Tom and Gill Mellor won the Diversification Farmer of the Year award in the large business category at the British Farming Awards in Droitwich last week.

The judges were impressed with the variety of Hunmanby Grange's businesses; Wold Top Brewery, Agricola Bottling and Muddy Souls Events and said: "Tom and Gill Mellor are making use of everything the farm has got along with all their attributes, skills and personalities, and in a unique manner.

"We particularly liked the fact people could have a beer with their own labels for weddings on the farm."

Gill Mellor said: "It's brilliant, we are really thrilled. This award will be hugely important to our staff who are fantastic and the absolute key to running a successful business."

Organised by Briefing Media, home of several farming publications, the 2014 British Farming Awards are designed to celebrate the best in British farming innovation. The awards dinner was attended by almost 500 farmers and industry representatives who enjoyed a locally sourced meal followed by an after dinner speech by Simon Weston.

Wold Top Brewery brews traditional real ale from home and Wolds grown malting barley, the finest hops and pure, chalk-filtered Wolds water. Agricola Bottling launched in 2010 and is a bottling plant that processes and bottles many different beers and ales for small to medium size breweries in Yorkshire and beyond and Muddy Souls Events takes advantage of Hunmanby Grange's stunning top of the Wolds location to create a unique wedding and party venue.