Welbeck Farm Shop & Harley Cafe nominated for national awards

We are pleased to announce that two courtyard businesses have been shortlisted in the Farm Retail Awards. Welbeck Farm Shop is in the running to be crowned one of the best farm shops in the UK, while the Harley Café is looking to be named the best farm café.

The Awards, set up by the Farm Retail Association (FRA), champion the best farm shops, pick your owns and farmers markets. A shortlist with three finalists in each of the eight award categories was announced last week, with the Welbeck Farm Shop short-listed in the Large Farm Shop of the Year category while the Harley Café, which sits across the Courtyard from the Shop, features in the Farm Café/ Restaurant of Year shortlist. The winners will be announced at a glittering awards ceremony on Wednesday, 12th March 2025, at The Eastside Rooms in Birmingham.

Chair of the Farm Retail Association, Emma Mosey said: “It’s wonderful to shine a light and celebrate our farm shops and farmers markets which are often independent, family-run businesses at the heart of communities. The sector is an important bridge between field and fork, sourcing fresh and nutritious produce with low food miles, from passionate and knowledgeable retailers.”

Oliver Stubbins, Farm Shop Manager, commented, “It is a real honour to be recognised once again by the Farm Retail Association. In their 2024 Awards we were thrilled to be announced as the ‘UK Farm Butcher of the Year’, so it’s brilliant to now be in the running for two national awards for 2025! The Farm Shop is once again recognised, making a shortlist of three in the Large Farm Shop of the Year category – this follows hot on the heels of the Shop being awarded ‘UK Large Farm Shop 2024’ by the Farm Shop & Deli Retail Awards earlier this year. We’re delighted that the Harley Cafe has also reached a national shortlist, meaning every element of the business, and every colleague’s contribution has been recognised as being amongst the best of the best.”

The Welbeck Farm Shop and the Harley Café sit at the heart of a vibrant artisan food community here on the Welbeck Estate. Since opening in 2006, Welbeck Farm Shop has earned a reputation for being one of the region's best farm shops. It focuses on low food miles, drawing on a rich artisan food tradition. Meat is sourced from the local area, including from the Welbeck Estate, where rare breed livestock graze historic pastures. Meats are cured in-store by the award-winning butchery team.  The Estate’s Raw Milk is also offered, delivered fresh from the dairy every morning. It’s the same milk in the internationally acclaimed Stichelton blue cheese. A cheese counter developed with help from their friends, Neal’s Yard Dairy is lovingly tended by an in-house cheesemonger.

Managed by the Welbeck Farm Shop, the Harley Café takes pride in serving the best local ingredients, including produce from across the Welbeck Estate, with bread from the Welbeck Bakehouse, meat from the Shop’s award-winning butchery, and the famous blue cheese from Stichelton Dairy. Situated in The Courtyard at Welbeck, the Harley Café serves homemade, seasonal breakfast and lunch menus by Head Chef James Armstrong, including cakes, scones, sandwiches and salads, plus everyday favourites such as the Farmshop Lamp Shawarma and the Garden Bhaji, made with fresh vegetables from the Estate’s Walled Garden.