Champions of artisan foods to be showcased in major UK campaign

Four local grocers are in the running to win major UK awards designed to promote the survival and growth of independent food stores on the nation’s beleaguered high streets. SAM BUTLER looks at the awards.

The awards are designed to showcase smaller grocers facing the challenge from the supermarkets.

Shortlisted for the awards, the winners of which will be announced at a gala event in early March, are Coleman’s Farm Shop and Nursery at Templepatrick, County Antrim; McKee’s Country Store, located just outside Holywood, County Down; Millar Meats and Food Store, Irvinestown, County Fermanagh; and High Street Harvest in Holywood, also County Down.

With an expert panel of judges joining food broadcaster and writer Nigel Barden, chair of judges, the awards recognise the highest levels of service, product knowledge, initiative, innovation and community involvement offered by our heroes of the high street.

The awards are highly respected in the industry for playing an important role in supporting, and celebrating, the UK’s independent, specialist retail market across 11 categories from bakers and butchers to delis and food halls.

The top award was won last year by Cunningham’s Butchers, Food Store and Steak House in Kilkeel, the first time the award has come to Northern Ireland.

James Cunningham, who runs the progressive business, says: “The Farm Shop and Deli Retailer Awards are a fantastic way for specialist retailers in the food and drink sector to showcase all the great work they are doing nationally and especially for local customers. We benefited immensely from the profile it provided for our role in Kilkeel and further afield.

“The awards are also an excellent vehicle for independent food retailers to gain some national recognition for their passion and hard work they put into their respective crafts,” adds James.

This year, the awards will be celebrating specialist retailers and recognising their achievements in the independent sector, which has had to cope with the coronavirus pandemic before the cost-of-living crisis developed.

Three local delis and smaller food shops were also listed in the Slow Food Awards 2023 for their work for consumers. They were Indie Fude, which has delis in Belfast and Comber, Arcadia Deli and Ewing’s Fishmongers, both based in Belfast,

The Farm Shop and Deli awards are being announced against a depressing background of sharp prices in the cost of food and some other groceries in the UK. There have also been alarming rises in the cost of energy and road fuel which have impacted traders and producers. The awards showcase champions across the farm shop and deli industry.

Surveys have highlighted the important role of the industry to regional economies in particular.

During the pandemic, for instance, farm retailers saw an 89 per cent rise in sales, according to a recent survey. Considering that there are an estimated 1,581 farm retailers across the country, the data demonstrates the pivotal role that farm shops play in the UK economy today. In Northern Ireland, there’s also been a steady growth in farm shops.

Collectively, farm shops were found to be generating more than £1.4 billion in sales, a testament to the passion and innovation of farm retailers.

Further research revealed that customers are increasingly seeking higher quality products and excellent customer service and this is why they are attracted to local community farm shops.

It is clear that farm shops and delis offer a different experience to high street shopping through the quality of their produce and their standard of service – and that this difference is increasingly appreciated by customers. Farm shop and deli owners were found to be more knowledgeable about products and the people making these.

Moreover, nationwide lockdowns in 2020 and 2021 encouraged consumers to try new food products at home rather than eating out. Farm shops became a destination choice.

According to some figures, there were still 1,493 delis in the UK – up 0.1 per cent – in 2022. They are also vitally important to artisan food producers, many of which have begun their retail journey in these stores before being listed in supermarkets and convenience stores. Others, however, have preferred to focus entirely on delis and farm shops. Wholesalers and distributors, a key development over the past 30 years, have enabled artisan companies to reach independent retailers across the UK.

Independent food shops are vital for giving small, specialist brands opportunities to be seen and understood while being able to provide expertise and hands-on advice to the consumer on products and how these can be used to create imaginative meals at home. The personal touch is another area where experts agree delis and artisan retailers excel.

The ‘human element’ is often the most important reason why shoppers choose delis and farm shops.

Having people in the shop who can be sensitive to all the many ways to approach customers is what will make a committed customer base and, ultimately, ensure that everyone leaves buying more than they had planned!