The 2026 FRA Awards shortlist carries a bit of extra meaning for us, because two names we care a lot about are sitting on it.
Talking Tortoise has been shortlisted for Associate Member of the Year, and our client, Lower Clopton Farm Shop, has been shortlisted for Best Small Farm Shop. Winners will be revealed at the awards ceremony on Wednesday 11 March 2026 at the Cedar Court Hotel in Harrogate, as part of the FRA’s annual Conference and Awards event.
It’s tempting to treat those as two separate bits of news. But they don’t feel separate to us. They feel like the same story seen from two angles.
Emma Mosey, Chair of the FRA, said the finalists represent “the very best of British farm retail,” highlighting the innovation, passion and community connection that define the sector.
That framing matters, because it’s exactly the space Lower Clopton Farm Shop occupies so naturally. They’re a proper community farm shop, the kind people plan their weeks around, not just their shopping lists. Being shortlisted for Best Small Farm Shop is recognition of that, in the most meaningful way: by peers who’ve been on site, seen how they operate, and judged them against the very best.
For our part, Associate Member of the Year is a category that celebrates the businesses who support farm retail well. Not loudly, not with tech theatre, but by helping shops grow in ways that keep their identity intact.
When we started working with Lower Clopton Farm Shop, their social media presence was bordering on inconsistent to non-existent and they suffered from that age old customer quote of..”I’ve lived around here for X year and I didn’t even realise you were here.” Fast forward six months and they have a blossoming social media presence, have featured on national television, regional television and even had their own radio mini series! Christmas Turkey orders are through the roof and we’ve just come off the back of a fantastic PYO season for both cherries and pumpkins.
That’s why this double-shortlist feels so joined up. Lower Clopton’s nomination is recognition of a brilliant small farm shop doing what it does best, championing local food and serving its community with pride. Our nomination is recognition of the support that sits behind outcomes like that, and of a partnership that’s been practical, respectful and ultimately profitable for the client.
We’ll be heading to Harrogate in March 2026 with a lot of pride in our pockets. But for now, we just want to say this: congratulations to every finalist on the list. If the FRA shortlist is anything to go by, farm retail in the UK isn’t just holding its own – it’s leading the way, and doing it with heart.
And to Lower Clopton Farm Shop, specifically – we’re chuffed for you. Being recognised among the very best small farm shops in the country is no small thing. We’ll be cheering you on all the way! In our opinion, there is no better farm shop in the country.. big or small!
