Award Winning Ways
Duncan and Eli Farrington are presented with Waitrose Small Producers Supreme Champion Award by John Lewis Chairman Sir Stuart Hampson and Waitrose Brand Development Manager Graham Cassie.
Although only launching Farrington’s Mellow Yellow in 2005, we thought the best way to get people to know about what we are up to, was to enter food awards. Duncan spent many evenings filling in application forms to say why he thinks our oil is so fantastic, and it has now paid off, as judges around the country started to agree with his thoughts.
Firstly we became a top ten finalist for the Daily Telegraph Sainsbury’s Taste of Britain 2005 Awards. It was a start, but 2006 is the year that Mellow Yellow became Award-winning. In May we won top prize in the small company category of The Food & Drink Forum’s first ever Innovation Awards. This is in conjunction with East Midlands Fine Foods, and rewards Mellow Yellow for ‘The most exciting and innovative product to have come onto the market in the region over recent months.’ Our first award – this gave us confidence and credibility that Mellow Yellow is a fantastic product.
In July at the Royal Agricultural Show, on the anniversary of Mellow Yellow’s official launch, entrants to the Waitrose Small Producers Awards gathered in salutary conditions to hear the results of these much coveted awards. Amidst tough competition against Cranfield’s Foods delicious Damson preserve, and the best looking chocolates you have ever seen from Chococo, Mellow Yellow won Category Winner. We were delighted, but there was more, as we finally came away as Supreme Champion, after which the rest of the day was a haze of media, dignitaries, and enormous grins all over our faces.
Waitrose Brand Development Manager, Graham Cassie said “It is always a pleasure seeing the passion and expertise that the entrants to the Waitrose Small Producers Awards have. Farrington Oils managed to beat-off tough competition because it is an innovative business, which covers and develops new ground. Farrington’s Mellow Yellow is an interesting oil, which has a well-rounded taste and which performed well as an ingredient also.” We agree!
In August the The Guild of Fine Food Retailers announce the Great Taste Awards. Considered the ‘Oscars’ of food awards, the much coveted awards are judged purely on taste during blind tasting sessions by panels of expert food judges. Up for grabs are Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards. Mellow Yellow has just won GOLD – It really is a fantastic tasting oil!
We set out to try and gain some recognition for the qualities of our oil, but to get such praise from the highest quarters within the fine food arena was beyond our wildest dreams.
Duncan will not be filling in anymore award application forms for a while. Its not that I am getting blasé with all fame and fortune; more that we have got to get back in the bottling room, making more of this truly Great British Oil ready for you to try.
 Press...This is what the press says about us -
click on one of the pictures to download the pdf file. Read More... |  BBC Bees, Butterflies and Blooms with Sarah RavenStarting Wednesday 8th February at 8pm BBC2Duncan has been spending time over the past eighteen months working with the BBC, and writer, broadcaster and gardener Sarah Raven, on a three part documentary set to get the nation buzzing. Read More... |
