Nick Marston, DPS and Dyson Farming were among the winners at FPJ’s flagship event hosted by G’s
The winners of the fourth annual Festival of Fresh Awards have been crowned at this year’s conference and networking event hosted by G’s in Cambridgeshire.
Almost 250 senior industry figures were present on 10 June as the winners were presented with their trophies by FPJ editor Fred Searle and Fruitnet MD Chris White. Winners were announced in six categories, having been selected by FPJ’s experienced team of editors for outstanding performance and innovation over the past year.
In the Retail Supplier of the Year category, DPS was recognised for its rapid growth in turnover over a sustained period, alongside its strong focus on supply resilience at a time of climate and geopolitical volatility.
New Covent Garden Market in London was named Non-Retail Supplier of the Year. FPJ’s editors highlighted the market’s continued reputation for premium produce; its impressive redevelopment; the market authority’s tireless efforts to promote NCGM and celebrate its traders; and the market’s long history of serving the capital’s restaurants and foodservice businesses with top-quality fruit and veg.
The Marketing Magic award went to Zespri, following the kiwi giant’s high-impact Taste The Obsession campaign, which included samplings at train stations and summer festivals. This helped drive brand awareness, with SunGold penetration increasing and driving a huge increase in both gold and green kiwi sales in the past year.
G’s picked up the prize for Sustainable Champion for its regenerative Johnson-Su composting system, which has proven to be a major breakthrough in commercial-scale regenerative farming and is helping the producer to cut fertiliser use, restore soils and increase profits.
Meanwhile, Dyson Farming won the Innovation Award, celebrating the ingenuity of its vertical, rotating growing system that allows the producer to optimise glasshouse space and grow more strawberries per square metre.
Finally, the Editor’s Award, selected by FPJ staff for outstanding achievement, was presented to the soon-to-retire chair of British Berry Growers, Nick Marston, a powerhouse of the UK soft fruit sector.
“Throughout his career Nick has tirelessly championed the British berry sector, helping to drive its rapid expansion, advocating for sustainable returns for growers, and building a strong and multi-faceted industry body in British Berry Growers,” said FPJ editor Fred Searle. “He deserves huge respect and gratitude for that.”
Searle concluded: “Despite the mounting challenges facing the industry, there have been so many examples of dedication, innovation and excellence across the UK fresh produce industry over the past 12 months. So many companies and individuals deserve recognition, but these award winners are worthy of our special congratulations.”
Official photos of this year’s winners will follow.
