Buy Local Winners 2006
The efforts of Holmes Chapel butcher, Phil Davies, to provide top-quality local produce for his high street customers were recognized when he received one of the CPRE’s brand new ‘Buy Local’ Awards. Mr. Davies’s shop is one of three Cheshire businesses rewarded for their commitment to making top quality local foods available to shoppers.
Phil Davies receives his award from John Turnbull, Chairman of CPRE Cheshire Branch [Image: CPRE Cheshire Branch]
The award scheme, launched at the RHS Show last year, asked members of the public all over Cheshire to nominate businesses they believed were the best providers of good local foods, and three winners were selected to receive an engraved brass ‘CPRE Mark’ plaque.
Cheshire CPRE Chairman, John Turnbull, said, "It was heartening to see that so many people are as concerned as we are about cutting down on the unnecessary ‘food miles’ travelled by the average supermarket shop, and about supporting the efforts of British farmers and shopkeepers to provide us with superb, safe and healthy local food. On the other hand, the interest the scheme created made the task of choosing winners a tough one."
Andrew Shufflebotham of Cheerbrook Quality Farm Foods receives his award from Stephen O'Brien, MP [Image: CPRE Cheshire Branch]
“People have never been so concerned about what they put on their forks, yet more and more of our farmers, restaurateurs and food retailers are making huge efforts to provide excellent, safe and tasty food that’s produced locally and not driven round the entire country before it reaches us. We felt it was time to reward those people, and to encourage more people to buy from them, in line with CPRE’s national campaign to promote local foods,” added Clare Lewis, CPRE’s Press and Membership Officer.
The shop was nominated by one of its very satisfied customers, Hilary Blumer of Holmes Chapel, who read about the new Award scheme in the Sandbach Chronicle last year. “Not only is the meat sourced 100% in Cheshire, but the service is friendly, with recipe ideas and cooking advice thrown in", she said.
"At Phil Davies Butchers we pride ourselves on purchasing local produce from trusted suppliers and are therefore delighted to have won this Buy Local Award. We are keen to encourage people to eat Cheshire meat and poultry, and offer personnel, friendly service using traditional butchery methods to allow our customers greater choice and flexibility than the larger supermarkets." said Mr. Davies.
Stephen celebrates with Monica Haworth of Eddisbury Fruit Farm [Image: CPRE Cheshire Branch]
Cheshire CPRE Chairman, John Turnbull, said, "It would be much easier for a high street butcher to simply find the best quality meat at the best price, but Phil has shown a real commitment to bringing locally produced food to the high street, making it easier for busy people to ‘buy local'".
Two other Cheshire businesses received the their ‘Buy Local’ awards at the Nantwich Show from Stephen O’Brien, MP for Eddisbury, who has a keen interest in food quality and rural issues.
Eddisbury Fruit Farm, of Kelsall, near Tarporley and Cheerbrook Quality Farm Foods of Willaston, Nantwich were among the three businesses rewarded for their commitment to making top quality local foods available to shoppers.
Another three nominees will shortly receive certificates of commendation.
See our Press Releases page for more information about the presentations.
We will be building on the success of this year's competition with a new set of awards next year, so if we haven't found your favourite yet, please take a few minutes to fill in and send us a nomination form.