Yorkshire farm shops havefield day in national awards

The Beadlam Grange Farm Shop and Tea Room, run by Mark and Jenny Rooke and family at Pockley, near Helmsley, was the Local Food champion in the fifth Countryside Alliance Awards.

Its recognition in the prestigious awards came after it was voted best newcomer by the Farmers’ Retail and Markets Association (Farma) on Tuesday, which also honoured Farmer Copleys at Ravensknowle Farm, in Purston, near Pontefract as Farm Retailer of the Year, with Best on-farm restaurant named as Bashall Barn, near Clitheroe.

The Countryside Alliance’s Rural Hero of 2009 is Canon Alan Robson, of Market Rasen, who has been agricultural chaplain for Lincolnshire for 10 years.

Sir Alan Beith, Lib Dem MP for Berwick-upon-Tweed, and Philip Dunne, Conservative MP for Ludlow, were honoured for their work on rural affairs.