A business that launched during lockdown has been awarded the title ‘Farm Shop of the Year – Hampshire’.

The Hampshire Deli and Farm Shop has been awarded the title “Farm Shop of the Year – Hampshire” in the UK Business Excellence Awards 2022.

The shop is an all-in-one pop-up farm shop, deli and café, run by Justine and Barry Walker who also run the Hampshire Salami company.

The company was set up by the Walkers in March 2020 at a farmers’ market, after their neighbours asked them if they could provide boxes of good quality local produce, since supermarkets were beginning to feel the strain of lockdown.

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That weekend the couple delivered 4 boxes of produce from the farmers market, with the number rising to 25 boxes the following week after the service was advertised on Facebook; the Walkers were soon delivering 50-60 boxes weekly to residents in surrounding villages.

Barry said: “After we delivered those first four boxes, it just went nuts.

“We’ve been amazed that that our customers want British and local products.

“This has been an amazing journey, made only more special by the fact that we didn’t really plan any of this.

“We wanted to support local, providing seasonal products from producers who, like us, struggled at the start of Covid.

“We add new products each week and hope our customers like what we do and want to stay loyal and stay local.

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“We hope our customers continue to support those producers and small independents who, like us, throughout COVID have worked tirelessly to keep their communities fed.”

The business slowly morphed into a pop-up farm and deli shop the couple run outside of their salami factory at Wolverton Park every Saturday.

The Hampshire Deli and Farm Shop stocks British, local and seasonal produce, including a selection of over 65 local cheeses; the shop also produces its own pies, sausage rolls, quiches, charcuterie, and home cooked hams, all of which go on the menu of their café.

The Hampshire Deli and Farm Shop’s sister company, the Hampshire Salami Company, is an award-winning producer of salami and other cured meats.

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