Jon Watson, owner of Heritage Meats based at Yew Tree Farm, Coniston, has won two prestigious national awards in the Great British Food Awards 2021.
Cumbrian farmer and food producer Jon operates his butchery and online shop from Yew Tree Farm.
The farm specialises in Herdwick hogget, Herdwick mutton and Belted Galloway beef, which is something former owner Beatrix Potter would greatly appreciate, especially having won many an award for Herdwicks herself.
John Pallagi, multi-award-winning butcher, and co-founder of Farmison & Co. awarded the Coniston based farmer with the overall award for the lamb category.
The business had also been recognised as best in the North of England region too, piping businesses from Lancashire, Yorkshire, Northumbria, Derbyshire, and Cheshire to the top spot.
The Great British Food Awards are now in their seventh year and aim to celebrate the country’s finest home-grown ingredients, as well as the diligent folk who produce and cook with them covering everything from dairy, cheese, meats, artisan drinks right through to savoury preserves.
Each year the judging panel is made up of some of the most acclaimed chefs, food critics and influencers in the country, which provides entrants with an opportunity to have their produce tasted by some of the UK’s most influential foodies who so far have tasted some 1,500 products.
Jon said: ‘’It’s a real achievement for the team that our Herdwick hogget shoulder has taken the top spot in the lamb category in this year’s Great British Food Awards, but we are totally over the moon to take the plaudits as best producer in the North of England.
“It just goes to show that traditional farming methods, coupled with careful nurturing deliver real results that people can genuinely appreciate and recognise as being the best quality available.’’
