Kay and Steve Croot
Derbyshire farm shop Croots has been named a finalist for the Midlands Family Business of the Year Award 2017.
The farm shop and café near Duffield, run by husband and wife team Steve and Kay Croot, is one of 12 family firms shortlisted for the accolade.
“We are delighted to learn that we’ve been chosen as a finalist in this award. It’s great news for Croots Farm Shop and all the wonderful, hard-working staff we have on our team,” said Kay Croot. “The farm shop was launched at my parents’ farm in 2008, and has gone from strength to strength.
“It’s very much a family business, with our staff being part of our extended family. We have some people that have been with us at Croots Farm Shop since the start and are incredibly loyal and amazing with customers. We have shared our progress with them, they understand what we are striving to deliver, live the same values and we look after them and treat them like part of a big family.
“I’d like to thank them, as well as all our suppliers and customers, for helping this family business to grow and to get to a stage where we have been named a finalist of the Midlands Family Business of the Year Award 2017.”
The Family Business of the Year Awards are organised by Family Business United, the award-winning magazine and resource centre that champions and celebrates the family business sector. Now in their fifth year, the awards recognise the diversity, strength and depth of family firms across the UK and seek to highlight the contribution that family firms make to the UK economy.  
Open to family firms of all generations, sizes and sectors, the awards recognise some outstanding family firms and really help to put family businesses on the map.
Paul Andrews, founder and managing director of Family Business United, said: “We are delighted to be able to pull together such a vibrant bunch of family businesses, some that have succeeded for numerous generations and continue to thrive, and others that are relatively young but have great values at the heart of what they do.
“Well done to Croots Farm Shop & Café on being named a finalist.”
Sian Steele, head of family business at PwC, sponsors of the award added: “Any one of those shortlisted would make worthy winners and ambassadors for the sector. We are looking forward to finding out more about each of them and I am sure that the decisions to determine the winner will not be easy.  Previous winners of this award include Penny Hydraulics, Cropwell Bishop and Fracino so the 2017 winners will be following in the footsteps of some incredible family firms.”
The awards process concludes at a gala reception and awards ceremony that takes place in London at the prestigious May Fair Hotel in London on June 8 where the winners will be crowned.
Croots Farm Shop, based at Farnah House Farm, Wirksworth Road, is open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm (Shires Eatery until 4.30pm) and from 10am to 4pm on Sundays. Croots runs Fresh Fish Thursdays between 9am and 1pm on Thursdays.
For more information, visit www.croots.co.uk Find Croots on Twitter @crootsfarm_shop or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Croots-Farm-Shop
Press release issued by Nottingham based PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk