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03 November 2022
BQP farmers from across the South and East of England gathered on 2nd November for the annual BQP Farmers Awards at the Norfolk Showground.
These annual awards celebrate the best in the industry from across the South and East of England and include trade stands and guest speakers. This year’s winners include 19 winners across 19 categories which were presented by Rebecca Spink, Breeding and Free Range, and Stephen Bennett, Deputy Grower Farms Manager, and sponsored by a number of leading names across the industry. The prestigious, Farmer of the Year 2022 was awarded to Nar Valley which was sponsored by our gold sponsors team. The full list of winners included:
| Breeding Farms Stockperson of the Year | Craig Rudd MKD Pigs Ltd |
| Breeding Manager of the Year | Ryan Dyer |
| Most Improved Breeding Farm | Sandy Pigs Sudbourne |
| Highest Performing Breeding Farm-4 Week Weaning | Hume P and M Pigs |
| Highest Performing Breeding Farm- 5 Week Weaning | Nar Valley Pigs Ltd |
| Highest Performing Breeding Farm- Single Parity | NFL Bayfield |
| Breeding Next Generation Award (Young farmer, under 30) | Josh Cox – Paynter Nar Valley Pigs Ltd |
| Trainee of the Year (apprentice or undergoing training) | Emma Claxton, M E Claxton and Son |
| The Partnership Award | Mills |
| Special achievement award | Paul Arundel |
| Growing Stockperson of the Year | Josh Bennett, E W Davies |
| Most Improved Growing Farm | Skipper |
| Best Growing Farm Performance (below 1500) | Watkins |
| Best Growing Farm Performance (above 1500) | G C F Hillier and Son |
| Best Two Stage Growing Performance | Mark Ramm, Foundry Hill Piggery and Carmar Pigs |
| Above and Beyond Award | Neville Hunt, Robertsons |
| Growing Next Generation Award | Rob Brooke, P A Brooke and Son |
| The Feed Management Award | ALR Pigs |
| Farmer of the Year Award 2022 | Nar Valley |
Howard Revell, Pig Production Director, helped judge the winners and explained: “To be once again all gathered in one venue is amazing. Our farmers have been looking forward to these awards for some time and the wait was well worth it. All the winners were pleased and grateful for being recognised. I also want to use this opportunity to thank all our farmers for what they have done over the past year and look forward to meeting them again next year.”
Guests also had a chance to hear from Matthew Penfold, Agricultural Manager from Waitrose, and Charlie Curtis and Peter Havers from Farming Community Network – a charity and voluntary organisation that provides practical support to the farming community.
Barney Kay, Managing Director – Agriculture, added: “I was delighted to catch up with our farmers and would like to thank them for coming to the awards evening and listening to our key speakers, including Matthew Penfold from Waitrose. I would like to congratulate all the worthy winners for their tireless efforts in supplying the highest quality product to Pilgrim’s.”
BQP help farmers breed and rear over 1 million pigs a year using industry-leading production systems, including outdoor born, straw-finished, RSPCA Freedom Food Assured, free range and organic. With around 30% of the UK market share, this makes us the UK’s largest pig business. BQP has supplied high welfare British pork to the major retailers in the UK for over 40 years, since 1979.
Howard added: “I also want to thank all our sponsors for supporting and highlighting the event. With so much going in our sector I also want to thank the BQP team for continuing to work hard and supporting our farmers – you are the backbone of our business.”