“We wanted to give something back to society,” says Karen Watson, Barleylands education officer. “We know that by teaching children how their food is grown and how our food choices affect the world from an early age, they can learn to appreciate food.
“There is so much obesity in the world, we want to encourage you to think about what is going into your bodies,” added Watson.
Barleylands is an educational agricultural park in Billericay, Essex, a diversification of the Philpots, who have been farming in the area since 1937. A large team of schoolteachers and farmers come together to impart their knowledge, hoping to create a relationship more positive. with food in a county where more than a third of those who drop out of elementary school are obese or overweight.
Now in its 36th year, Barleylands welcomes 20,000 primary school children from Essex and East London each year.
Children tend to come for a whole day, up to 200 at a time from various schools and spread out in groups. They do a combination of cooking classes and farming activities, learning how to plant, grow, harvest, and even grind grains. They learn about sustainability, crops and livestock, and help run the dedicated educational tunnel. “It’s very practical,” says Watson.
Along with organized school trips, Barleylands is a visitor attraction, with families welcome. Its discovery center and museum teaches the history of agriculture and presents various interactive activities, such as grinding wheat or making butter.
In March 2020, the center was forced to close. “It was the saddest moment,” says Watson. While they created a virtual option that many schools adopted, it was not exactly the same, and since this April, when they were given the green light to welcome schoolchildren once again, they have been “struggling to find days that are adapt to all – We were full until the end of the course ”.
Winning the special Clarissa Award, named after the famous cook Clarissa Dickson Wright and given for her achievements in campaigning, educating and prioritizing slow food and supporting British farmers and producers, has been the “ icing on the cake, ”says Watson. “It really validates what we do. It’s a great reward for the team. We are constantly trying to get the younger generation interested. If we don’t do it now, how are we going to have a group of adults who are interested in food or think about where it comes from? “
Regional winners
East of england
Butcher: Lavenham Butchers, Lavenham, Suffolk
Local Food / Drink: Hollow Trees Farm Shop, Ipswich, Suffolk
Pub: Fox Inn, Garboldisham, Norfolk
Country business: Barn Farm Drinks, Manningtree, Essex
Village Store / Post Office: Great Ryburgh Village Shop, Great Ryburgh, Norfolk
the midlands of England
Butcher: Eric Lyons, Knowle, West Midlands
Local Food / Drink: Manor Farm Shop, Catthorpe, Leicestershire
Pub: The New Inn, Norton Lindsey, Warwickshire
Country Company: Shropshire Festivals, Telford, Shropshire
Village Store / Post Office: Yarpole Community Store and Post Office, Leominster, Herefordshire
Northeast
Butcher: Knitsley Farm Shop, Consett, County Durham
Local Food / Drink: Cross Lanes Organic Farm Ltd, Barnard Castle, County Durham
Pub: Twice Crafted Inn, Hexham, Northumberland
Village Store / Post Office: Chatton Village Post Office and Store, Alnwick, Northumberland
northwest
Butcher: Spearings Butchers, Macclesfield, Cheshire
Pub: Crafty Baa, Windermere, Cumbria
Rural Enterprise: The Gather, Ennerdale Bridge, Cumbria
Village Store / Post Office: Slaidburn Central Stores and Post Office, Slaidburn, Lancashire
Southeastern
Butcher: Cottenhams of Lindfield, Haywards Heath, West Sussex
Local Food / Drink: Blue Tin Produce, Ipsden, Oxfordshire
Pub: The Fox in Peasemore, Newbury, Berkshire (joint winner)
Pub: The Red Lion, Witney, Oxfordshire (joint winner)
Rural Enterprise: West End Flower Farm, Alton, Hampshire
Village Store / Post Office: The Lodsworth Larder, Lodsworth, West Sussex
South west
Butcher: Veysey Butchers, Cullompton, Devon
Local food / drink: Boscastle Farm Shop, Boscastle, Cornwall
Pub: Cotley Inn, Chard, Somerset
Country business: Liberty Trails, Dartmoor, Devon
Village Store / Post Office: Church Street Stores, Crediton, Devon
Yorkshire
Butcher: Farmison & Co, Ripin, North Yorkshire (joint winner)
Butcher: Glaves Family Butchers, Scarborough, North Yorkshire (joint winner)
Local Food / Drink: Ainsty Farm Shop, Green Hammerton, North Yorkshire
Pub: Exelby Green Dragon Community Pub Ltd, Bedale, North Yorkshire
Rural Enterprise: Little Wold Vineyard, South Cave, East Yorkshire
Village Store / Post Office: Dale Stores, Harrogate, North Yorkshire
Welsh
Butcher: Dewi James and Company, Ceredigion
Local Food / Drink: Conwy Vineyard Vineyard, Llangwstenin, Conwy
Pub: The White Cross Inn, Groeswen, Caerphilly
Rural business: Raglan Farm Park, Raglan
Village shop / post office: Siop Y Pentre, Cilgerran
Overall winners
Village Store / Post Office
Champion: Dale Stores, Birstwith, Yorkshire
Highly Commended: Lodsworth Larder, West Sussex
pub
Champion: Cotley Inn, Somerset
Highly Commended: Exelby Green Dragon, Yorkshire
Rural company
Champion: Barn Farm Drinks, Essex
Highly Commended: Shropshire festivals
Local food
Champion: Cross Lanes Organic Farm, Co Durham
Highly Commended: Blue Tin Produce, Oxfordshire
Butcher
Champion: Lavenham Butchers, Suffolk
Highly Commended: Cottenhams of Lindfield, West Sussex
Clarissa award
Barleylands, Essex
Game champion
Hunter Gather Cook
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