Best in Organic Celebrated at Annual BOOM Awards

Excellence in the organic industry was celebrated this week with the winners of the prestigious Best of Organic Market Awards being announced.

Better known as the BOOM Awards, following a rigorous judging process, the winners were announced at a special ceremony in Bristol.

The BOOMs, which are the UK’s only organic awards, honours the brands, businesses and people behind the UK’s organic industry and was open to all certified organic businesses in the UK. The awards are run by Soil Association Certification in partnership with headline sponsor, Huboo.

Judging was by a panel of experts, including Telegraph columnist, chef and food writer, Xanthe Clay, chef, food and travel writer and broadcaster Romy Gill, and Bake-Off contestant, chef and TV presenter, Briony May Williams, and food expert and TV presenter Andy Clarke.

The awards include a category voted for by the public, The Nation’s Favourite, which celebrates the best-loved organic product of the year. This year, it went to Clearspring for its Organic Tofu – Silken & Smooth. They received the highest number of votes from a public vote, beating off some tough competition including Freedom Brewery Helles Lager; Grass Roots Dairy Organic Salted Butter and Aspall’s Organic Cyder Vinegar.

The Lifetime Achievement which went to Iain Tolhurst, from Tolhurst Organic, who recently received an MBE for Services to Agriculture in the King’s Birthday Honours List.

Winner of Winners which went to Brown Cow Kefir Fermented Yoghurt while the Rising Star was awarded to Sinead & Adam – Aweside Farm. The couple upped sticks from their careers and home in London to start an organic farm in Arlington, East Sussex, where they have transformed 4.5 acres of ex-arable land into an ecologically thriving smallholding.

Soil Association Commercial & Marketing Director, Alex Cullen, commented: “We’re thrilled to announce the winners, who truly represent the best that organic has to offer. Organic farming and production offers vital solutions for climate and nature, which is why we’re so excited to see these products making an impression with the public. New and diverse representatives are appearing all the time, and we’re proud to celebrate them here. We’ve heard so many of their fantastic stories working with sustainable businesses.

“These are the people who make the system work and draw other people in. It’s thanks to them that we’re so hopeful for the future, and we’re thrilled we’ve been able to recognise them. This drive to innovate means the organic market remains popular and resilient. We’ve been so lucky to work with such a dedicated and expert panel of judges, who worked through hundreds of shortlisted products and entries to with the unenviable task of making the key decisions.”