J Tomlinson rises through the ranks of Nottinghamshire’s top businesses

Expanding integrated building solutions company J Tomlinson has leapt up the rankings in an annual list naming Nottinghamshire’s top 200 businesses.

The Beeston-based firm has risen from 66th position last year to 52nd place in the 2017 poll compiled by Derby Management School, part of the University of Derby.

Based on turnover, the list was revealed by the Nottingham Post at an event at Harts Restaurant attended by senior business professionals.

It was the third year that the list had been compiled, with J Tomlinson consistently moving up the rankings from 75th position in 2015, to 66th place in 2016, followed by the most recent position at 52 in 2017.

J Tomlinson CEO Mark Davis, who attended the event, said: “Following on from our recent Nottingham Post Company of the Year win in May, J Tomlinson is once again delighted to be named as a top 200 Nottinghamshire business, even more so that we have moved up the list - a testament to our continued growth and innovation, and an outstanding team that goes above and beyond to make a difference.

“It’s wonderful to see so many familiar names on the list, as well as new entries, and I look forward to seeing what the next year will bring.”

J Tomlinson, which was founded in the 1950s and employs around 420 people, has been experiencing steady and sustainable growth over recent years. Working primarily across the East Midlands, West Midlands and Yorkshire, the company provides a range of integrated building services including construction, refurbishment, repairs and maintenance, mechanical and electrical services (M&E), and facilities management.

Nottinghamshire’s Top 200 Companies for 2017 list includes a number of household names such as Boots, Wilko, Experian, Capital One, Vision Express, Paul Smith and Center Parcs. Companies which have their registered office in Nottinghamshire or an NG postcode were ranked according to turnover reported between July 1, 2015, and June 30, 2016.

Topping the list again was Boots UK Ltd, which the list stated had a turnover of £11,985m and employed more than 47,000 people.

For more information about J Tomlinson visit www.jtomlinson.co.uk

Press release issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Croots Farm Shop & Café scores success at Family Business United Awards 2017

Derbyshire farm shop Croots has been named the winner of the People’s Choice Award for the Midlands at the Family Business United Awards 2017.

The farm shop and café at Duffield was also chosen as runner up in the Midlands Family Business of the Year Award category.

Steve Croot, who runs Croots with wife Kay, said: “It is wonderful to win the award as a family business, but none of what we do at Croots would happen without the fantastic staff that we have working here. They are like our extended family and I would like to thank them for all their hard work and support of our business.

“Thanks also to all our customers for their support, and to those who voted for us in the People’s Choice Award, and also to all those people who support local family businesses throughout the country.”

The awards, which were presented at a gala reception and awards ceremony at the prestigious May Fair Hotel in London, came almost exactly nine years after Croots Farm Shop first opened its doors.

Based at Farnah House Farm, Wirksworth Road – the home of Kay Croot’s parents Jim and Sue Yates – the farm shop has gone from strength to strength since 2008.

“Croots is very much a family business, with our staff being part of our extended family,” said Kay. “Some of our team have been with us at Croots Farm Shop since the very beginning and are so loyal, as well as being great with customers. We have shared our progress with them, they understand what we are striving to deliver, live the same values and we look after them and treat them like part of a big family.”

The Family Business of the Year Awards are organised by Family Business United, the award-winning magazine and resource centre that champions and celebrates the family business sector. Now in their fifth year, the awards recognise the diversity, strength and depth of family firms across the UK and seek to highlight the contribution that family firms make to the UK economy.  

Open to family firms of all generations, sizes and sectors, the awards recognise some outstanding family firms and really help to put family businesses on the map.

Paul Andrews, founder and managing director of Family Business United, said: “We were delighted to pull together such a vibrant bunch of family businesses for the 2017 awards, some that have succeeded for numerous generations and continue to thrive, and others that are relatively young but have great values at the heart of what they do.

“Congratulations to all the winners.”

Croots Farm Shop, based at Farnah House Farm, Wirksworth Road, is open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm (Shires Eatery until 4.30pm) and from 10am to 4pm on Sundays. Croots runs Fresh Fish Thursdays between 9am and 1pm on Thursdays.

For more information, visit www.croots.co.uk Find Croots on Twitter @crootsfarm_shop or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Croots-Farm-Shop-127012538821/

Press release issued by Nottingham based PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Sustainability team at Focus Consultants appointed on one of Nottingham’s ‘greenest’ projects

Sustainability experts at Focus Consultants have been appointed to help Nottingham’s new Digital Media Hub become one of the top three environmentally sustainable sites in the city.

The £9.1 million Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies is scheduled to be the flagship part of Nottingham Trent University’s Creative Quarter Campus and the main site of the Confetti Institute.

Work has just got underway on site on the six-storey building, which will connect the existing Confetti college centre on Convent Street and the Higher Education Centre on Parliament Street.

Designed by award-winning architects Allan Joyce, the striking building is hoping to achieve a BREEAM Excellent rating, with the expectation that it will be one of the most environmentally sustainable buildings in Nottingham.

Focus, which has its headquarters at Nottingham’s Phoenix Business Park, has been appointed as the BREEAM Assessor and the BREEAM Accredited Professional, providing the design team with expert advice on built environment sustainability, environmental design and environmental assessment. 

Senior sustainability surveyor Jessica Bullers said: “The Energy and Sustainability team at Focus Consultants has had a long-standing, close relationship with Nottingham Trent University, providing sustainability support on a number of the university’s building projects.

“Working as the sustainability champion and simultaneously as the BREEAM assessor, we have established a good assessment process - leading to this latest project being potentially one of the most highly rated BREEAM buildings at the university, which is well recognised for being the UK’s ‘greenest’ university. For the past three years, NTU has been awarded first place in the People & Planet University League, which ranks all 145 UK universities on their commitment to and management of sustainability. 

“Focus is proud to have been appointed to the team developing the Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies, which is not only a flagship part of NTU’s Creative Quarter Campus but likely to become one of Nottingham’s most environmentally friendly buildings too – an honour for a Nottingham-based company like Focus, which has been supporting the city in its development for more than 21 years.”

The new hub, due to be completed by summer 2018, will feature spacious contemporary classrooms and studios, a large Learning Resource Centre with private study facilities, creative social spaces and a rooftop garden. In addition to acting as Confetti’s headquarters and main reception, it will deliver all digital media games and interactive activity.

Work began before Christmas demolishing part of the existing Confetti site on Parliament Street to make way for the new build.  The demolition unearthed some key archaeological findings including Medieval artefacts, caves and a 700-year old well that have helped rewrite the history of Medieval Nottingham and provide information about the way the area was used over 700 years ago.

Contractor Stepnell has now begun work on site. 

Focus Consultants, which also has branches in Leicester, London and Boston and Aubourn in Lincolnshire, offers a range of support on all aspects of sustainable development, as well as services in funding and economic development, project management and building surveying.

For more information visit www.focus-consultants.co.uk

Press release issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Croots Farm Shop helps put Great British family businesses on the map

Derbyshire farm shop Croots was a stop-off point on this year’s Family Business Road Trip.

Representatives from Family Business United, who have been touring some of the UK’s most successful family businesses, dropped in to visit the farm shop in Wirksworth Road, Duffield, during the journey.

Kay Croot, who runs the farm shop with husband Steve, said: “They were very interested to hear the story of Croots Farm Shop and how we’ve got to the point we are now at, as a popular farm shop and a place to visit for coffees, lunch, afternoon tea and more. We gave them a tour around the shop, café and the farm, and explained how the business has grown in the nine years since we launched.”

The Family Business Road Trip celebrates the essential contribution family firms make to national GDP and regional economies. In the UK, the family business sector accounts for more than 4 million firms, £1.1 trillion in turnover (almost a quarter of UK GDP) and employs more than nine million people. In addition, the top 20 family owned firms in the UK generate turnover in excess of £49 billion.

Paul Andrews, from Family Business United, was joined by Ruth Chapman, from PwC, one of the trip’s sponsors, for the visit to Croots.

Family firm Sturgess Jaguar provided the car for the trip and the event is being sponsored by PwC, Farrer & Co, Western Pension Solutions and Close Brothers Asset Management. The Family Business Road Trip 2017 runs for six weeks covering Yorkshire to the Lake District and the Midlands to London, East Anglia, Sussex and a whole host of counties in between.

Croots Farm Shop is open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm (Shires Eatery until 4.30pm) and from 10am to 4pm on Sundays. Croots runs Fresh Fish Thursdays between 9am and 1pm on Thursdays.

For more information, visit http://www.croots.co.uk Find Croots on Twitter @crootsfarm_shop or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Croots-Farm-Shop-127012538821/

Press release issued by Nottingham-based PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Charity cycle ride supported by J Tomlinson

L to R, J Tomlinson's Martin Gallagher, with Paul Talbot & Richard Scott

Building services company J Tomlinson is backing a charity cycle ride taking place over the Easter weekend in aid of Pancreatic Cancer UK.

The Nottingham-based company is providing a support van, minibus and driver for the team undertaking the 140-mile coast-to-coast trip from Morecambe in the West to Whitby in the East.

The group of cyclists is being organised by Richard Scott, Building Control and Land Charges Manager at Ashfield District Council and the national president of the Local Authority Building Control (LABC), who is aiming to raise £20,000 for Pancreatic Cancer UK during his year of office as LABC President.

The choice of his charity for the year is in remembrance of his father-in-law John Radford, who for many years ran the family furniture-making business Touchwood, of Mansfield Woodhouse, and who died in 2012 as a result of pancreatic cancer.

Colleagues from Ashfield District Council, Mansfield District Council and the LABC are among those joining him on the ride, which takes place on 15^th and 16^th April and goes through the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and the North Yorkshire Moors.

Richard said: “The support van and minibus are vital for our trip – carrying spares and giving us extra security – and we are very grateful to J Tomlinson for providing this back-up.”

J Tomlinson managing director (construction), Martin Gallagher, said: “Richard and I have been good friends since 1985 when we started our careers as apprentice joiners at West Notts College in Mansfield and, as a company, J Tomlinson is very pleased to support Richard and the team of cyclists undertaking the coast-to-coast cycle ride to raise money for such a good cause. We wish them well as they raise funds for Pancreatic Cancer UK during Richard’s year of office at the LABC.”

Richard was elected as LABC president, representing all local authority building control sections throughout England and Wales, in December 2016.  Acting as the ambassador for LABC in 2016/2017, he will attend regional and national events as well as travelling to Europe to promote local authority building control.

To continue his fundraising during his presidential year he also plans to complete the Great North Run in September.

To donate to the fund-raising effort, visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/LABC-President3

Those taking part in the cycle ride with Richard include Dave Waring, Lee Sycamore, Glen Beaver and Paul Crawford, who all work at Ashfield District Council, Richard Buckwell, who is retired from Ashfield District Council, Marsha Mann, who works at Mansfield District Council, Martin Taylor, from the LABC, and Stephen Carrington, from Pelican Control Systems Ltd. They are being supported by retired Ashfield District Council colleague Paul Talbot, who will be driving, and Sarah Patrick, from Mansfield District Council, as first aider.

J Tomlinson provides a range of integrated building services which include construction, mechanical and electrical services (M&E), facilities management, refurbishment, repairs and maintenance and regeneration. It primarily operates across the East Midlands, West Midlands and Yorkshire.

The company has strong links with Ashfield District Council, having worked for many years on the council’s refurbishment, repairs and maintenance contracts for its housing stock.

For more information about J Tomlinson visit www.jtomlinson.co.uk

Press release issued by Nottingham-based PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Shire Horse Open Day held at Croots Farm Shop

Gentle giants of the horse world will be shown in all their glory at a Shire horse open day in Derbyshire next month.

The Derbyshire Shire Horse Association Show will be held at Farnah House Farm, Wirksworth Road, near Duffield – the home of Croots Farm Shop.

As well as offering the public the chance to see magnificent Shire horses in action, the event is a rescheduled qualifier for the Shire Horse of the Year Championship at the prestigious Horse of the Year Show, which takes place in October, and is likely to attract some of the top Shire horses in the country.  The original qualifier for HOYS was postponed following the cancellation of the Derbyshire County Show last month due to the weather and ground conditions.

Running from 11am to 4pm on Sunday 7^th August, the show will feature Shire horse displays, different classes, dray rides, pony rides, trade stands and a BBQ. Admission costs £3 for adults and £2 for children.

It is being held at the farm belonging to Jim and Sue Yates, who have already qualified two of their Shire horses for the Horse of the Year Show after winning prizes at the Lincolnshire County Show and the Royal Norfolk Show.

The couple have been breeding and rearing Shire horses for decades, and are amongst the longest established families in the Shire horse world. Their son David Yates shows the horses, with daughter Kay Croot involved in preparing them for showing.

Kay, who runs Croots Farm Shop with her husband Steve, said: “The Shire horses at Farnah House Farm are very popular – people love to see them and we know that many of Croots’ customers are big fans.

“The Derbyshire Shire Horse Association Show is the ideal opportunity to watch around 30 horses dressed up in all their finery being put through their paces.”

This is the third time that the Derbyshire Shire Horse Association Show has been held at Farnah House Farm.

For more information visit http://www.croots.co.uk

Press release issued by Nottingham based PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Construction Leaders Club focuses on how to be a leader in times of uncertainty

A construction sector expert is warning that it’s crucial for small businesses in the industry to plan for the future as much as possible as the UK heads into uncharted waters following the Brexit referendum result.

Business growth consultant Terry O’Mahony says that the UK’s EU vote and the resultant political upheaval has created an uncertain future.

“When uncertainty goes up, confidence tends to go down, which can have a knock-on effect to the amount of work available in the sector or the level of work is maintained but prices suffer,” said Terry, who runs the East Midlands-based Construction Leaders Club.

“Companies often look at their cost base and cut their sales and marketing budgets and their training budget, but that means they may be less able to win work and have fewer people with the right skill set and capabilities to adapt to the change and cope with the work.

“We are heading into completely uncharted waters post-Brexit and it’s now more important than ever that the leaders at the top of companies have the wherewithal, foresight and vision to steer the management and develop the strategy necessary to guide their businesses through these uncertain times.”

The Construction Leaders Club, which was established in Nottingham three years ago by Terry as a networking and business growth organisation supporting businesses and individuals related to or associated with the UK construction industry, is running a Discovery Day which will focus on what it takes to be a leader in times of uncertainty.

The event, on Wednesday 7^th September at Risley Hall Hotel, near junction 25 of the M1 between Nottingham and Derby, will also look at strategy and marketing, and will shine a spotlight on the two upcoming programmes that the CLC is running from October, the CLC Mastermind for business owners and senior decision makers, and the CLC Rising Stars for high potential individuals who want to step up to the next level.

As well as running development programmes and workshops, the CLC also stages monthly networking events.  

CLC and its related business support services is the only business growth, leadership and management development organisation for the construction industry to be awarded a Chartered Building Consultancy status - an accreditation granted as part of the Chartered Institute of Building’s Chartered Building Consultancy Scheme.  CLC can also award CPD credits for its networking events, workshops and programmes. 

For more details or to book on the Discovery Day, visit http://www.constructionleadersclub.com/ 

Press release issued by Nottingham based PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk 

Children’s craft activities at Croots Farm Shop in Derbyshire

Croots farm shop, Derbyshire  

Popular craft activities for children will be run at Croots Farm Shop in Derbyshire during August.

The fun sessions will be held from 10am to 4pm on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 1^st to 31^st August as part of the store’s programme of events.

The perfect way to help keep kids entertained during the summer holidays, the sessions are themed around the farm and countryside and include creating farm animal pompoms, bee and butterfly weaving, and making corn kernel mosaics. 

Suitable for children aged from four to 11, they are staged in the barn beside Croots Farm Shop, which is based at Farnah House Farm, Wirksworth Road, near Duffield. 

Each session costs £3, with tickets available from the shop on the day. There will also be opportunities to play playground, skittles and hoopla games. 

Croots Farm Shop is open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm (Shires Eatery until 4.30pm) and from 10am to 4pm on Sundays. Croots runs Fresh Fish Thursdays between 9am and 1pm on Thursdays.

For more information, visit www.croots.co.uk Find Croots on Twitter @crootsfarm_shop or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Croots-Farm-Shop-127012538821/\

Press release issued by Nottingham based PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

J Tomlinson completes key contract for international business GE

A major refurbishment project for global technology organisation GE has been completed by J Tomlinson following a fire at the premises last year. 

The GE Measurement & Control site at Groby in Leicestershire includes a new world class clean room for silicon processing – a critical part of the manufacturing process for the advanced industrial pressure sensors made at the site. It is the only British manufacturer of pressure sensors and industrial calibrators that manufactures the key sensor element entirely in-house. 

J Tomlinson’s role in the project involved refurbishing approximately 1,600m² of office accommodation over two floors, which had been damaged in the fire that originated in an adjoining building. 

The £2 million office refurbishment was a joint venture between the company’s construction division and its electrical engineering services team. 

Construction managing director at Nottingham-based J Tomlinson, Martin Gallagher, said: “GE is a major globally known business – the Groby site is one of 40 GE Measurement and Control facilities in 25 countries. J Tomlinson is proud to have carried out the refurbishment of its two-storey office block in Groby, which is a key part of its operation.” 

The newly completed block has now been officially handed over by J Tomlinson following a refurbishment project which involved installing energy and cost-saving LED lighting alongside associated office electrical and building works. 

M&E Director, Carl Derrick from J Tomlinson commented saying: “The office refurbishment at GE, Groby provided us with an opportunity to work alongside our construction division, delivering benefits to the client as part of our integrated solutions approach.” 

With a combined 40-year history of silicon processing and sensor manufacturing at the Groby site – first by Druck Ltd and then by GE when it acquired Druck in 2002 – GE has earned a reputation for high quality, high accuracy pressure sensor equipment for aerospace, oil and gas, power generation and the automotive sector. Today, about 680 people work at the Groby site. 

Graham Dawber, business leader for the Groby site, said: “After a challenging 13 months, it is fantastic to have a new world class silicon facility where we can focus on meeting our customers’ needs now and in the future. 

“With these improvements, we can better serve customer demands and extend our leadership position in our target markets.” 

President and CEO of GE UK & Ireland, Mark Elborne, was joined by local dignitaries, including the Mayor of Hinckley and Bosworth, Councillor Mrs Janice Richards, and members of the nearby community for an official opening and tour of the building. 

The clean room building for silicon processing was recently completed by HCM Projects, with Precision Clean Rooms completing the rebuild of the 8,600 sq ft laboratory.

J Tomlinson, which offers services in construction, refurbishment, repairs and maintenance, mechanical and electrical engineering, energy efficiency, renewables, and facilities management, is based in Lilac Grove, Beeston, near Nottingham, and has offices across the East and West Midlands. 

Earlier this year J Tomlinson was named in Deloitte’s Businesses Leading Britain 2014 report, which provides insights into the UK’s 1,000 fastest-growing businesses with annual revenues between £30 million and £1 billion. The company is expected to see its turnover increase from £54 million in 2014 to £67 million this year, and with a forecast to rise again next year to £90 million.  

For more information visit www.jtomlinson.co.uk

Press release issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Croots Farm Shop cultivates wedding party plans after double anniversary

A double wedding celebration sparked a new business idea for husband and wife team Steve and Kay Croot.

The couple, who run Croots Farm Shop in Derbyshire, celebrated their silver wedding anniversary on 1^st September. This came two weeks after Kay’s parents Jim and Sue Yates marked their golden wedding anniversary.

When planning a joint celebration at the farm near Duffield, the couple decided that it was such an ideal place to hold a wedding reception that they should open it up to others.

“Steve and I had our own reception in a marquee at the farm in September 1990, and over the past few years we’ve had a couple of other wedding receptions in the fields in front of the farm shop,” said Kay. “It’s a beautiful location overlooking the Ecclesbourne Valley. We’ve now got our hearts set on creating a unique country setting for other happy couples who’d like to celebrate their big day on a farm.”

Croots Farm Shop is staging an open day on Tuesday 8^th September from 10am to 7pm to give couples planning their wedding the chance to find out more about what the Croots team can offer.

“We can do buffets or table service, picnics or banquets,” said Kay. “We offer drinks packages, locally sourced beers, homemade foods and can organise wedding cakes, marquees, DJs, toilets and everything else that’s needed.”

Croots Farm Shop, which is based at Farnah House Farm, Wirksworth Road, opened in June 2008 and is well known for its butchers counter, deli and Shires Eatery, which has doubled in size due to demand since it was first launched. A play area has also been added, and the farm shop regularly holds activities for children, as well as tastings, promotions and events for customers.

Situated overlooking fields of Shire horses, the farm shop was built at the farm owned by Jim and Sue Yates, the latest in a long line of generations to have bred the gentle giants of the horse world at Farnah House Farm.

For more information visit www.croots.co.uk

Press release issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Regeneration scheme appointment for J Tomlinson

Contractor J Tomlinson has been appointed on the second phase of a major regeneration scheme in the West Midlands. 

Earlier this year the Nottingham-based company began work on phase one constructing 11 new industrial units at St. Modwen’s Albion Gateway project at Burton-upon-Trent. These are due to be completed in November. 

Now the firm has been appointed to build a further seven new industrial premises as part of the second phase of the 10-acre, mixed-use development which is replacing part of the former Pirelli tyre factory with a mixture of warehouse, trade counter, industrial units, restaurants, a public house and a hotel. 

Construction managing director at J Tomlinson Martin Gallagher said: “There were strong levels of interest in the first phase of this high-profile development and we are very pleased to have now been appointed to build the second phase of the Albion Gateway scheme. 

“This is the latest in a number of regeneration projects that J Tomlinson has worked on and is great news for the East Staffordshire economy, as well as for us as a company.” 

The contracts have supported additional job opportunities at J Tomlinson. The scheme is also providing work for local subcontractors and suppliers as both phases of the project are carried out. 

Phase one and two will bring almost 60,000 sq ft of new business and industrial premises to the market. 

Located on the main arterial route to the north east of Burton-on-Trent’s town centre, the scheme benefits from its close proximity to major transport links, including the A38 and A50. St. Modwen, the UK’s leading regeneration specialist, is investing in the local road infrastructure, which will include two new dedicated junctions to the scheme as well as local highway improvements on the Derby Road.  

J Tomlinson, which offers services in construction, refurbishment, repairs and maintenance, mechanical and electrical engineering, energy efficiency, renewables and facilities management, is based in Lilac Grove, Beeston, near Nottingham, and has regional offices across the East and West Midlands. 

Earlier this year J Tomlinson was named in Deloitte’s Businesses Leading Britain 2014 report, which provides insights into the UK’s 1,000 fastest-growing businesses with annual revenues between £30 million and £1 billion. 

Recently the company announced four key contracts in the West Midlands, potentially worth £25 million. The company was appointed to a four-year framework contract by Warwickshire Police and West Mercia Police covering servicing, maintenance, reactive repairs and minor works which has a potential value of up to £9.1 million over the lifetime of the agreement. 

The firm also won a five-year contract worth £10 million to replace kitchens and bathrooms in around 1,600 properties in Birmingham, Coventry, Stoke, Walsall and Wolverhampton for housing organisation Midland Heart. In addition, J Tomlinson was appointed on two contracts in Sutton Coldfield for a new 65-bed care home and a new building for Sutton Coldfield Conservative Club. 

These contracts are contributing to the continued growth of the company which is expected to see its turnover increase from £54 million in 2014 to £67 million this year, and with a forecast to rise again next year to £85-£90 million. 

For more information visit www.jtomlinson.co.uk

Press release issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Great Taste Awards for Derbyshire’s Croots Farm Shop

Croots Farm Shop has struck gold in this year’s Great Taste Awards, with gold stars for a trio of products.

Croots sloe gin earned two gold stars and the label of ‘outstanding’, with judges saying: “Beautiful looking sloe gin, great colour and lovely ‘on the nose’.”

The drink is made by Croots Farm Shop owner Steve Croot from sloes collected around Farnah House Farm, in Wirksworth Road, Duffield, where the farm shop is based.

Croots leg of lamb and Croots sticky maple and hickory belly pork also each won a gold star in the awards, which are regarded as the ‘Oscars’ of the fine food world.

Steve said: “These awards are presented to the very best food and drink products, so we are over the moon to have won gold stars for three more of our products. I only started making the sloe gin last year, so I’m particularly pleased that the judges regarded it as outstanding.”

In previous years Croots has scooped Great Taste Awards for a range of home-produced items, including sausages, smoked salmon pâté, bacon, pork pie, muesli and lemon oil.

Great Taste, organised by the Guild of Fine Food, is the acknowledged benchmark for speciality food and drink and has been described as the ‘epicurean equivalent of the Booker prize’. Products awarded two stars are deemed ‘outstanding’, while those that receive one star are viewed as ‘simply delicious’.

The judges included hundreds of top chefs, restaurateurs, acclaimed cooks, food experts, retail buyers and food writers.

They said of Croots leg of lamb: “A good leg of lamb, great aroma, great taste, simple and does what it’s supposed to.” Their description of Croots sticky maple and hickory belly pork was: “Great flavour to the meat and fat. Clean, tender and very tasty.”

“Our meat is either bred at the farm or comes from nearby farms, and our butchers have built up a great reputation for their skills and their products. I’m so pleased that two of the popular items from the butchers’ counter have been recognised in such a high-profile award scheme,” added Steve.

Croots Farm Shop opened in 2008 and is based at Farnah House Farm, Wirksworth Road. It is open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm (Shires Eatery until 4.30pm) and from 10am to 4pm on Sundays. Croots runs Fresh Fish Thursdays between 9am and 1pm on Thursdays.

For more information about Croots visit www.croots.co.uk

Twitter @crootsfarm_shop 

Press release issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk