Freedom Food sponsors BQP Awards

The prestigious annual BQP Awards were held late last year in the Top of the Terrace conference room at Norwich City Football Club’s Carrow Road stadium – with two special welfare awards sponsored by Freedom Food.

Over 300 guests attended the event which included an introduction by Howard Revell, BQP Production Manager (BQP are one of the UK’s largest pig producers) and a presentation by Waitrose’s Natalie Mitchell – Head of Buying Meat, Poultry, Fish and Eggs – highlighting the leading brand’s achievements and their plans for the future.

Prize presentations followed in various award categories including Breeding and Growing Farms. The highlight of the evening for Freedom Food was the presentation of the Freedom Food Welfare Awards, presented by John Newman and David Churchman.

Philip Payne – a producer of Gloucester Old Spot sired pigs for Waitrose – won the first of the Freedom Food-sponsored awards. Philip was recognised for running his unit to consistently high standards both in terms of pig welfare and physical performance, with a commitment to the BQP/Waitrose supply chain and constantly looking to try new things to improve his standards of welfare and production.

The second Freedom Food Welfare Awards were given to two long-serving fieldsmen, Ray Last and Ian Smith. Ray has been with BQP for 25 years and during this time has contributed a great deal to all of his farms and always with an unfailing commitment to welfare. Ian Smith retired at the end of 2010 after 13 years with BQP, a lifetime in the pig industry and an unswerving dedication to the highest standards of animal welfare.

The evening was rounded off with a deliciously appropriate supper of Waitrose sausages and creamy mash with Delia Smith’s onion gravy.