Norfolk grower wins top award

A Norfolk carrot and parsnip grower has been awarded the title of Vegetable Grower of the Year 2008 in recognition of its work getting children to eat healthily.

Shropham-based Watton Produce was handed the award at the Grower of the Year Awards held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London.

It grows some 60,000 tonnes of carrots and parsnips annually and last year it was the first UK grower to produce a UK-grown mini carrot with trimmed top.

It offered a hand-harvested, trimmed and packed local option rather than South African Imports.

And the firm is using recycled trays and non-pvc overwraps, sold in three major retailers: Tesco, Marks and Spencer and Morrisons.

The award was won in support of projects it has taken part in, including the work over the past few years, including the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme.

One of those was growing mini cucumbers as part of the Knights Farms Group. These were eaten in schools across the country last summer. The scheme is due to be repeated again this summer.

The firm has recently spent £1m on optical sorting equipment. The Knights family has been farming in Breckland for 60 years.

Source: Eastern Daily Press