Heroes of the North East countryside have been recognised at the region’s only annual awards event dedicated to our rural communities.
More than 200 people came together to mark the fourth North East Rural Awards, organised by The Journal and The Chronicle and hosted by the BBC’s Anna Foster at Kirkley Hall in Ponteland, Northumberland, where more than 30 firms and individuals were nominated for prizes.
The black-tie event was opened by Helen Dalby, senior editor and head of digital for Reach Plc in the North East, who hailed the importance of the rural economy.
She said: “We are home to the Northumberland National Park, last year voted the best in Britain, and two areas of outstanding natural beauty in the Northumberland Coast and the North Pennines.
“But what makes the rural North East really special is the people who live and work there, and the businesses that do so much to develop, maintain and enhance our rural communities.
“So tonight’s aim is to recognise and reward those people and organisations, and highlight some of the unsung heroes of the North East countryside.
“We’re celebrating rural diversification, entrepreneurship, tourism and hospitality, farming, innovation and food and drink businesses as well as shouting about some of the inspiring individual local heroes doing their rural communities proud.”
A total of nine awards were handed out on the night, with prizes singling out the shining lights within rural agri-businesses, tourism and hospitality, food and drink, start-ups and farming among others.
George Dodds & Co won the first award, the agri-business award, after judges heard how the firm’s founder has been offering expert advice on the management of land and the natural environment for 15 years.
The rural diversification award went to the Northumbrian Pellet Co, based at Chathill Farm. Farmer Pip Robson runs the arable and livestock farm but has diversified by selling straw pellets to bring in extra income, while also creating extra jobs.
Shepherd Retreats Ltd – luxury shepherds’ huts near Beadnell which have been created using recycled products to offer short family and pet friendly stays – took the tourism and hospitality award.
Best artisan food and drink award went to Doddington Dairy, which also triumphed in this category in 2017.
The firm is one of the few UK companies which makes handcrafted unpasteurised cheeses, and it is also now well known for its ice cream, which is reaching into more stockists every year. It first began making cheese 21 year ago but recognised the need to diversify in the late 1990s, prompting the creation of its ice cream business.
There were also prizes for rural training and apprenticeship award winner Goodfellow Farming, and SDS Livestock, which took the best rural start-up trophy.
The lifetime achievement award went to Alnwick farmer Stoker Frater.
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Meanwhile the farming and environment award went to BJC Smalley & Co, an arable and beef enterprise at West Kyloe, Berwick-upon-Tweed, which is using composting to improve organic matter of its soil, and the young farmer of the year award went to Edward Dungait, who plays an active role in the farming community alongside helping to diversify his family’s farming business. He also recently established Lough House Farm as a wedding venue using old barns.
Keynote speaker was Brian Richardson, UK head of agriculture at CYBG.
The awards were backed by associate sponsor Northumberland College, and category sponsors Hay & Kilner, Northumberland National Park, Advance Northumberland and NFU Mutual.
