About the Farm Shop & Deli Awards

What are the Farm Shop & Deli Awards?

For over 5 years The Farm Shop & Deli Awards have been recognising the very best standards in speciality retail and to celebrate the highest levels of service, product knowledge, initiative, innovation and community involvement.

Who are the Farm Shop & Deli Awards for?

If you are an independent retailer selling regional fresh/farm produce or with a delicatessen counter you can enter these awards.

Take a look at our fantastic 2018 Category and Regional award winners.

Our 2019 entries are now open with our finalist announcement due in March 2019 - we wish our entrants the best of luck!

What our judges look for

Benefits of taking part

The Farm Shop & Deli Awards are a fantastic way for specialist retailers in the food and drink sector to showcase all the great work you and your team are doing nationally and with your local customers.

Entering provides an opportunity for you to raise your company profile, generate positive PR for your business, put your work and achievements in front of a highly regarded panel of judges as well as providing a fantastic opportunity to increase your customer engagement.

They are free to enter and, through the Awards comprehensive online, social media and print marketing campaign, your company profile could reach a potential audience of over 26,000 – and all it costs you is the time to complete the online entry form!

Take a look at the prizes our Retailer of the Year 2018 won.

Hear from our 2017 winner Victoria Robertshaw from Keelhams Farm Shop on the benefits of taking part:

What Awards can I win?

*If your shop/business opened after April 2016, you will automatically be entered into the 'Newcomer of the Year' award, as well as proceeding in the category you chose.

Category definitions can be found here.

Regional Awards

East Anglia
Midlands
North East
North West
Northern Ireland
Scotland
South East
South West
Wales

Overall winner

Farm Shop & Deli Awards Retailer of the Year

Can I enter more than one category?

No, a shop/business can only enter one of the categories (unless your business/shop opened after April 2016, in which case you will automatically be put forward for 'Newcomer of the Year' as well as your chosen category.)

Can I win more than one Award?

Yes. You can enter both Category and Regional. If you win a regional Award you can also win the overall Award: Farm Shop & Deli Awards Retailer of the Year.
If your shop or business opened after April 2016, you may also be lucky enough to win the Newcomer of the Year award, as well as your Category and Regional award!

How do I enter?

Entries for the 2019 Awards are now open. Click on the button at the bottom of this page to enter.

The entry process is online and below is a useful guide on what to expect.

When you click on the button at the bottom of this section, you will be directed to an online entry form to Create an account or, if you entered in 2018 to, 'Sign In'.
Once you have 'Created an account', you will receive a registration confirmation email containing a link you must click on to verify your email address before you can Sign In.
Sign In
Complete the Entry Form
You can save the application as you proceed and of course return to it
Upload your photos (further details provided below)
Check your answers and photos and ensure you have read and accepted the terms and conditions and consent for your profile photo and copy to be uploaded to the award's website.
Only when you are 100% satisfied - Submit your Entry to complete the process.

Choosing your category:

On the online entry form you will be asked to select your category. Your category is determined by the primary focus of your business. For example, if you have a deli counter, sell fresh meat and sell baked goods - if your main business comes from your cheese counter then you should enter under 'Cheesemonger'. Our category definitions can be found here.

Answering the questions:

You will then complete the rest of the entry form be asked to complete the following key questions (minimum 100 words, maximum 250 words per answer), with tips provided to assist you:

1. What category are you entering this business for? (see 'Choosing your category' above)
2. Did this business/store open after 1st April 2016? If so you will be asked to provide month and year it opened
3. What is your business mission? (This is a statement of the purpose and values of your business that will form your profile on our 2018 entrants website page)
4. How has your business grown year on year and what are your plans to continue to grow the business over the next 12/18 months?
5. How do you and your staff develop the relationships with your customers, and your community?
6. Why do you deserve to win?
7. Do you have anything else you wish to tell us? (Optional)

Uploading your supporting photos:

To accompany your entry, and assist the judges, we ask you to upload the following photos when requested during the online entry process. We recommend considering and preparing these in advance of commencing your online entry and only one photo per question is permitted:

1. Upload an image of your team. (This will be used as your profile picture on the website entrants page)
2. Please show us your shop front or shop window (if relevant to your business)
3. Upload image showcasing your store layout or product range

Images should be uploaded in JPG format and we recommend files no larger than 8MB

To enable you time to complete the entry at your own convenience, you are able to access and return to the online entry form as many times as you require up to the point where you submit your entry to us. After that no further amends can be made.

How many times can I enter?

You can only enter once, under one category.

Once I enter, how do I win in the other categories?

You will first be judged within your category, once category winners have been agreed judges will also choose a best regional winner. Even if you do not win in your category, you can still win within your region and visa-versa. You can also win in both Regional and Category.

Only the winners from the Regional round will have the chance to win Farm Shop & Deli Awards Retailer of the Year.

Why do I need to get consumer votes?

The online votes are designed for you to get as maximum exposure within your local are to raise your profile, and the voting system is designed to help you achieve this – along with the press release template, banners and voting cards for your store.

The votes are used by the judges in the judging process, all votes are compiled and read on the paper judging day. The votes are judged on quality and not quantity. They are used by the judges to get a full view of your entry.

As a consumer, how can I vote for an entrant?

Consumer voting for the 2019 will open on 1st September and will close on the 31st October.

All online voters will be entered into a prize draw to win a food hamper. The winner will be selected and notified after the online voting closes at the end of October - good luck!

2019 Awards key dates

Entries are now open and close on 21st September 2018
The awards enrtants web page will be live early September, when the consumer voting will also commence
Judging will take place October to November ahead of the face-to-face judges deliberations mid November
After the initial round of judging the 'secret' visits will take place in December/January/February
Category and Regional Award finalists will be revealed in March 2019
Category winners, Regional Winners and the overall winner, the Farm Shop & Deli Retailer of the Year, will be announced at Farm Shop & Deli Show at the NEC, Birmingham, on Monday 8 April 2019

Good luck from the Farm Shop & Deli Awards Team!

"Wow, we are totally shocked, I feel amazing and really proud to have won the awards. We are amazed at winning our category, but to win Retailer of the Year as well is incredible! We decided to enter as the awards are prestigious, recognised and fantastic for the team to be rewarded in such a way."
Victoria Robertshaw, Co-Owner Keelham Farm Shop winner of 2017 Retailer of the Year

"We are over the moon and very surprised, it is really great to win these awards. It is nice for our staff to be rewarded as they work exceptionally hard, it makes a big difference. Our customers are always pleased when we win awards because they feel part of it. It makes them feel they are shopping in the right place. It’s made me quite speechless, such a fantastic thing to win. This is a very special award."
Arthur Howell winner of Retailer of the Year 2016

"We are absolutely delighted, it’s not sunk in yet! We’re so proud of everybody, thank you to our loyal customers and dedicated team. It is all of them who have made this possible. One of our core strengths is being able to bring so much local produce to customers whilst supporting local producers. This award is not just for our customers and team, but also in recognition of our local suppliers."
Johns of Instow & Appledore - Retailer of the Year 2015