Taste Cheshire’s Local Produce Shop of the Year!

The Taste Cheshire Awards celebrate the true taste of Cheshire, awarding those establishments that are at the very top of their game. This year a record number of over 44,000 public votes were cast during the nomination stage in various categories such as ‘Excellence in Customer Service’, ‘Best Newcomer’, ‘Best Cafe’, ‘Local Produce Shop of the Year’ and so on. The top 4 or 5 in each category were notified and then received a visit from a mystery judge.

Prior to the awards we were delighted to hear that The Hollies Farm Shop had been shortlisted again in the ‘Local Produce Shop of the Year’ category. Alongside our own range of homemade products, we stock products from some of the best producers in Cheshire and our local suppliers list is now well over 75! We were keen to find out if we had retained our title after winning Gold last year, so on the evening of Wednesday 24^th April 2019, a handful of our Hollies team put on their glad rags and headed off to The Pavilion at Chester Racecourse for the glittering awards ceremony.

When our category was called, we waited in anticipation to hear if The Hollies would be called out! Our team gave a loud cheer when it was announced that we had won Gold for Local Produce Shop of the Year! Well done to Cheerbrook Farm Shop who won the Silver Award and to Bellis Brothers in Holt for their Bronze Award!

Since the awards, we have received feedback from the judge who said,

“Going to the Hollies is an experience in itself. I haven’t been in a while, so I was elated when I visited that they’ve kept their insanely high standards. The staff kept up these standards with their kind nature and presentation. Everything is beautifully presented from the shelves to the flowers outside for decoration. It was around Easter when I went, and their display areas were fabulous.

You can tell when you visit the Hollies that they’re proud of Cheshire and their community. When buying from The Hollies, I left knowing that I was helping the local community from the farmers to the staff.

The Hollies really is second to none.”

This year, Taste Cheshire introduced 3 Food and Drink Producer Awards categories and we were thrilled to see lots of our fabulous local producers in the short lists in the categories including Big 5 Catering, Clotton Hall Dairy, Cheshire Farm Ice Cream, The Cheshire Brewhouse, Hunter’s Gin, Peckforton Water, Weetwood Ales & Tatton Brewery!!

Taste Cheshire CEO, Stephen Wundke said,

“This has been a simply fabulous night, 20 years ago when these awards were first created, I don’t think we could ever have imagined how big they would be. We don’t know of any other awards of this type were over 40,000 people vote and to have over 400 people here tonight shows the value that the industry puts on them. I am delighted and proud to be associated with this special event and I am convinced that these awards have helped drive the standard of food and drink in Cheshire to the highs it currently enjoys.  Thank you to everyone who voted and I hope your choices did well. To me they are all winners here tonight”

Big thanks!

Thank you so much to our wonderful customers for nominating us and for your continued support over the last 60 years of The Hollies – you are simply the best!

We are so privileged to work alongside some of the most amazingly talented local producers that Cheshire offers and are proud to be able to stock such great produce in our Farm Shops and showcase a real Taste of Cheshire. Thank you to all our suppliers!

Massive thanks also goes to each member of our fabulous team. We couldn’t do it without all your hard work & dedication, and we appreciate all that you do!

#growingsince1959

The Hollies Farm Shop is a family business that has been growing since 1959, established 60 years ago as an honesty box at the roadside. Phil, Ed and Sue Cowap are the third generation in their family’s award-winning business.

Phil, Ed, Sue and their family are a close family driven by their passion for business and a commitment to success since their Grandfather arrived 60 years ago. A family extended by their ever-growing team around them, they say, “The Hollies has evolved so much since 1959, but what has never changed is all the hard work and dedication that goes into the business, now not just from our family but from our wonderful team.”