Derbyshire farm shop Croots has been named the winner of the People’s Choice Award for the Midlands at the Family Business United Awards 2017.
The farm shop and café at Duffield was also chosen as runner up in the Midlands Family Business of the Year Award category.
Steve Croot, who runs Croots with wife Kay, said: “It is wonderful to win the award as a family business, but none of what we do at Croots would happen without the fantastic staff that we have working here. They are like our extended family and I would like to thank them for all their hard work and support of our business.
“Thanks also to all our customers for their support, and to those who voted for us in the People’s Choice Award, and also to all those people who support local family businesses throughout the country.”
The awards, which were presented at a gala reception and awards ceremony at the prestigious May Fair Hotel in London, came almost exactly nine years after Croots Farm Shop first opened its doors.
Based at Farnah House Farm, Wirksworth Road – the home of Kay Croot’s parents Jim and Sue Yates – the farm shop has gone from strength to strength since 2008.
“Croots is very much a family business, with our staff being part of our extended family,” said Kay. “Some of our team have been with us at Croots Farm Shop since the very beginning and are so loyal, as well as being great 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.”
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 were delighted to pull together such a vibrant bunch of family businesses for the 2017 awards, 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.
“Congratulations to all the winners.”
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-127012538821/
Press release issued by Nottingham based PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk