Farmer Ben WINS British Farming Award

HUGE Congratulations to Ben for winning the British Farming Awards this week.
It wasn’t the glitzy London dinner gala it could have been. Instead he was snuggled on the sofa with the family, watching the awards online. As they announced Best Innovator Diversification (Large) Award, Ben’s name came up and we couldn’t be more pleased for him. Ben has worked so hard to grow the event catering company at Fordhall over recent years – in fact we barely see him in the summer due to him being so busy.
Starting with just a few griddles at farmers’ markets over ten years ago, he now has a fleet of over 14 catering trailers serving meat from the farm and local producers, he employs over 80 local people during the summer months and manages catering at many big events including the catering at Edgbaston Cricket Ground, The Royal Welsh Agricultural Society Show, CarFest and lots lots more.
Ben said:

“Winning came as a massive shock and it was completely unexpected, but it is a huge opportunity for our business going forward.

“It has been a difficult year for everyone and this is a great boost for staff morale and the whole team.

“We had a few beers to celebrate and the kids were very excited. My phone has not stopping buzzing with congratulations messages from so many people, some of whom I have not seen for years, so it just shows how many people were watching.

“Watching the awards does make you stop and think about just how many opportunities there are in the farming industry, if you think outside the box, when you see what other businesses are doing.”

And the Judges said: 

“The ethos of the business is aimed at creating a food concession unit which people can trust and that offers high quality, honest, sustainable food. It is run by a young, dynamic and innovative team who are not afraid to do things a little differently.

With the capacity of making more than 10,000 of its core products, Ben has a clear plan as to how to grow the business and, while Covid-19 has severely impacted on this year’s events, he is confident the business will weather the storm and emerge stronger in the future

Ben pays great attention to detail and is using technology to differentiate his product from others. Recognising the opportunity to sell his pasture-fed and free-range meats at local events, the diversification has grown from a couple of griddles purchased from eBay to a fleet of 14 trailers catering for some of the UK’s biggest events. The farm, which Ben runs in partnership with his sister Charlotte, will continue to remain central to their future growth.”