We are urgently developing research requirements with other European laboratories to make sure we understand and the disease (Schmallenberg) better.Ice-cream makers crowned best farm entrepreneurs
ICE-CREAM makers Ian and Lesley Buxton have been crowned the 2009 Made in Britain Best Farm Entrepreneur.
The North Yorkshire couple set up Yorvale ice-cream in 1989 and beat seven shortlisted finalists to win the award, presented at the Royal County of Berkshire Show last Saturday.
The aim of the competition, sponsored by Farmers Guardian and Waitrose, was to discover a farm business which offered a quality product and demonstrated innovation, ambition and a real entrepreneurial spirit.
The seven businesses went head-to-head in a public vote before being whittled down to four.
In August, FG features editor, Danusia Osiowy, was joined by Malcolm Crabtree, managing director of Waitrose’s Leckford Estate farm, at each finalist’s farm to learn more about their business.
Malcolm said the standard of final four businesses in the competition had been ‘exemplary’.
“It has been hard to pick a winner, but Yorvale just pipped the others to it because of their great spirit of innovation, drive and determination to succeed and slick organisation of their business,” he said at the presentation.
After receiving her award, including a £5,000 cheque, Lesley Buxton was ‘more than ecstatic’.
“We never win anything; we are normally runners-up,” she said. “This award means so much to us. Sadly, Ian couldn’t make the event. But I know how sorry he will have been to have missed it, he will be thrilled.”
Mrs Buxton was undecided on how to spend the money, but her staff would be rewarded.
“We are nothing without our staff,” she said, adding the secret to success was “damned hard work.”
The runners-up - Anna’s Happy Trotters from East Yorkshire, Cothi Valley Goats from Carmarthenshire, and Starke Naked Foods from Suffolk - each received a £500 cheque from Waitrose.
Overall winner of the Made in Britain Awards went to Alistair Barge’s business Gigha Halibut, on the Island of Gigha, which specialises in the production of sustainable Scottish Atlantic halibut.
