Sir Edward Garnier, MP for Harborough, attended the eleventh Countryside Alliance Awards on Wednesday, 27 April 2016. The Awards are the Countryside Alliance’s annual celebration of rural produce, skills, enterprise and heritage. Edward Garnier was joined by Kevin and Milly Stokes, the owners of Farndon Fields Farm Shop in Market Harborough and finalists for the awards held at the Houses of Parliament.
Edward Garnier said: “It was good to see Kevin and Milly as finalists and I hope to see them get first place next year.”
The Environment Secretary, the Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP, presenter of the awards, expressed her support for farming and the rural economy.
Elizabeth Truss said: “Rural businesses are the lifeblood of this country and its communities, contributing over £220 billion to our economy, so it is only right we celebrate the heroes that make our countryside great.
“I’ve seen first-hand how the nominees for the Countryside Alliance Awards represent the brilliance of rural Britain and I am delighted to be able to celebrate their many wonderful achievements.
“They are ambassadors of thriving rural enterprise; something I am committed to boosting even further through our Rural Productivity Plan. This will improve technology and infrastructure, creating the conditions for rural growth.”