STAFF at Rumwell Farm Shop are celebrating again after hearing they’ve now been put forward as 2024 Taste of the West Champion finalists for both their Shop and Café (August 2024).
The Farm Shop, on the A38 between Taunton and Wellington, heard in July that three of its Gold-winning products could be crowned Champions and now its Shop and Café could be too.
Partner, Anne Mitchell, explains: “It’s been an amazing year for us. We were delighted in April with our Taste of the West Gold awards for our Made at Rumwell products and so excited last month when we heard three of these had been put forward as finalists by the judges to the Champion stage.
“Just last month we received prestigious Gold Awards in both the Farm Shop and Café/Tearoom categories too and have just been told both our Shop and Café will now go forward to the Champion finals as well. It’s amazing news and we’re so pleased. It’s wonderful.”
Rumwell Farm Shop was named last month as finalists for its 2024 Gold award-winning homemade chicken and ham pie, dry cured smoked back bacon and Gluten Free toffee apple crumble tart.
These items now move into the third and final round of judging to determine the Champion Product from each class, and the Supreme Champion Product overall.
This round of judging will be happening in September and the Champions will be announced at an awards ceremony on Tuesday, November 12 at Westpoint Arena, Exeter.
Farm Shop Partner, Sophie Mitchell, says: “Everything we do here is a result of the commitment and dedication of our staff. They work tirelessly to ensure we provide excellent products, dishes and customer service. These awards are because of all the effort they put in and we’d like to thank them for their ongoing support. We’re so delighted the judges like what we do and have put us forward to the Champion level for both our overall Shop and Café, as well as three of our Made at Rumwell products.”
To add to its Butchery’s dry cured smoked back bacon – featuring its own farm-reared, free-range pork – and its Deli’s chicken and ham pie and its Gluten Free toffee apple crumble tart, baked in its inhouse bespoke GF Kitchen, it also won a 2024 Taste of the West Gold for its Bakery-made fruity teacakes.
It scooped Silvers for its GF milk chocolate teacake, Bakery mince pies, Jam Kitchen pink grapefruit marmalade and Butchery free range pork and apple burger.
Taste of the West, established in 1991, is the regional food and drink trade organisation for the South West of England.
It rewards the region’s exceptional food and drink identity and works to develop the very best of the area’s industry.
Rumwell Farm Shop is no stranger to Taste of the West Awards. In 2023, it picked-up awards for its homemade products including six category Golds.
To add to this, last year it received a prestigious Gold Award in the Farm Shop category at the Taste of the West Awards.
It was then named ‘Champion’ Best Farm Shop at the South West Taste of the West finals in November 2023 and also scooped the top prize for its instore made Butchery beef burgers, using beef from its farm.
It was a finalist in the Large Farm Shop of the Year category in the 2023 national Farm Retail Awards too and won nine Taste of the West Golds in 2022 as well as scooping the title of overall Champion Bacon in the 2022 Taste of the West Awards as well.
Rumwell Farm Shop is an independent, family-run, award-winning business owned by the Mitchell family. It was originally a potato store, when David and Anne Mitchell began selling their potatoes and free-range eggs at the gate more than 25 years ago.
Due to customer demand, the range of products soon increased, and the Farm Shop grew into the place it is today. David and Anne’s sons, James and Jack, are now also involved in the business, as well as their wives, Sophie and Donna.
The Shop has a traditional Butchery counter selling its home-reared and free-range pork and Rumwell Angus beef. Also onsite is the new, purpose-built Rumwell Orchard events space, a Delicatessen, Bakery, Jam Kitchen, Food Hall, Wine Cellar, Gluten Free Kitchen, Food To Go service and Gift Room.
The food prepared in the Café kitchen is sourced from the Farm Shop, the Mitchell family farm, which is just four miles away, and other regional suppliers. The Café kitchen has Coeliac UK’s Gluten Free accreditation.
For more information, please call Rumwell Farm Shop, which is located in Rumwell between Taunton and Wellington, on 01823 461599 or visit www.rumwellfarmshop.com.
