West Midlands award winners head for national final
Picture: Tyrrells Potato Chips
Two West Midlands farmers are waiting with bated breath to discover whether they are national winners in the NFU Farming Excellence Awards after being shortlisted as finalists.
Worcestershire farmer Tom Meikle, of Lower Freelands Farm, Wick, is down to the last two in the English Nature/Country Life Farming For Wildlife Award.
And William Chase, of Herefordshire firm Tyrrells Potato Chips, is a finalist in the Sainsburys/BBC Good Food Magazine Great British Food Award.
Both farmers will at least now be national runners-up but will be hoping to be declared the national winner in their respective categories when the awards are presented at the NFU annual lunch on March 11.
There was additional success for the region in the national judging with 23 year old Herefordshire veal producer Rebecca Floate, of Boresford-based Tender Cuts being awarded a highly commended certificate in the Young Farmer of the Year category.
"The West Midlands has a fantastic record of providing a national winner every year since the awards started and hopefully we can continue that winning streak this year," said NFU West Midlands regional public relations officer Russell Griffin.
"We always felt that we had a particularly strong set of regional winners going forward to the finals and we are delighted to find that the national judging panel has selected two of them for the finals.
"As well as the potential to win a further £1,000 in prize money, Farming Excellence Award finalists have found in the past that the prestige and media coverage they gain from being shortlisted helps boost their business and the industry's reputation."
Tyrrells Potato Chips' customer list exceeds 1900 - and include top names such as Harvey Nichols, Harrods, Selfridges and Fortnum and Mason, as well as a small bakery in Paris.
Tyrrells now deliver 10,000 packs a week and has branched into a number of different flavours and products including parsnips, mixed root vegetables, beetroot and celeriac.
The company has more than 20 full time members of staff and plans to double its turnover in the next three years, helped by new equipment to produce more exotic chips out of apples, tomatoes and onions.
Tom Meikle is an active member on the local Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group committee and has participated in many training events.
He produces sugar beet, salad onions, dwarf beans, barley and wheat and integrated farming practice is at the centre of the business's thinking.
The farm has previously hosted an RSPB training day, an ADAS farm walk and a group from the Environment Agency.
Wildlife that can be found on the farm include a wide variety of birds as well as badgers and otters.
The NFU Farming Excellence Awards reward farmers and growers who have made an outstanding and innovative contribution to agriculture and horticulture.
The finalists have all been chosen for their unmatched contribution to the industry by an independent panel of judges* including representatives of the national media and environmental organisations.
