Accolades beckon for Keelham Hall Farm Shop

Keelham Hall Farm Shop in Thornton, Bradford, has won through to the finals of a top national competition for butchers.

The Brighouse & Denholme Road outlet has been shortlisted as one of three finalists for the Farm Shop Butchery of the Year category in the annual Butcher’s Shop of the Year Awards run by the Meat Trades Journal.

Renowned as the premier awards for the UK butchery sector, the awards recognise and reward excellence in craft butchery and winners enter an exclusive group representing the crème de la crème of British butchery. This year’s winners will be announced at the Sheraton Park Lane Hotel, London, on Tuesday, November 17.

Keelham Hall Farm Shop has also learned it is among a shortlist of three finalists in the annual Yorkshire Post Business in Excellence Awards in the Yorkshire Bank-sponsored category for companies with a turnover of up to £10m.

Run by brother and sister James and Victoria Robertshaw, Keelham Hall Farm Shop represents a local business success story, now employing over 70 full and part-time staff.

Victoria Robertshaw said: "We are currently experiencing rapid business growth and regularly serve over 7,000 customers every week. We are also achieving significant growth in year on year turnover – currently running at over 40%. We are on target to achieve £5m+ turnover in the current financial year.

"Our success is down to the quality of food and value we offer, coupled with the fact that we represent a true showcase for all that’s best in Yorkshire. We support over 70 Yorkshire food and drink suppliers and producers, specialist family-run businesses among them and many on our own doorstep.

"Our butchery department sells prime quality meat from livestock reared on our own farm, sourced direct from farmers across Yorkshire or through our local auction marts."

"To have been shortlisted for these high profile awards is a major honour – to win one would be one of our most significant achievements to date. We couldn’t have got this far without the efforts and commitment of our staff, who will all go that extra miles to help our customers."

ENDS

Pic caption: On the awards trail – the butchers’ team at Keelham Hall Farm Shop. James Robertshaw is pictured far right and department manager Lee Scott far left.