A Taste of Success for Family Producers

Pipers Farm a family business run by Peter, Henri and Will Greig has picked up the 2012 ‘Local Food Champion’ award for the UK & Ireland at the Countryside Alliance awards, better known as the Rural Oscars.

In December, the company was named in the Rural Oscars shortlist after winning the title of ‘Local Food’ award for the South West region and this week the Countryside Alliance has confirmed that this multi award winning farm has taken the top spot out of over 5,000 entries.

The Devon based family farm that grows, butchers and retails it’s own meat, has picked up a slew of awards over the years, including BBC Food and Farming producer of the year, The Times Top 10 Butcher, Rick Steins Food Hero and 8 Great Taste awards since 2010 now has one of the most prestigious awards to add to their growing list, a Rural Oscar. The national judging panel included TV cook Clarissa Dickson Wright, the Daily Telegraph’s assistant editor Philip Johnston and writer and Countryside Alliance executive chairman, Sir Barney White Spunner.

Peter Greig of Pipers Farm said “We are absolutely delighted to bring this prestigious award home to Devon. It’s fantastic to be recognised by the countryside alliance who we feel really champion our local community.”

The team at Pipers Farm were particularly impressed with the judges comments “The energy and passion of the Greig family leave you feeling very excited about the future of food and farming – anything is possible here. For 25 years Pipers Farm has been championing not only local food heritage, producing meat that is sensational to eat, but also supporting local family farms that have been the foundations of our rural communities and landscapes for generations. This has resulted in 25 small, family run farms, rearing animals in the same way that their parents and grand-parents would have before them, ensuring that there is a 100% guarantee for Pipers Farm produce.”

The judges went onto say “The passion of this family is inspiring. It is an inclusive and supportive business that reaches out to and supports myriad local suppliers. Not only is the commitment to animal welfare, great taste and the local community paramount, there is also an encouraging glimpse into the future, with young Will bursting with ideas for the business. Pipers is an exceptional blend of heritage, tradition and dynamic enterprise.”