Barfoots Awards 2013

Julian Marks (centre) collects the AD & Biogas Award

Sussex vegetable grower Barfoots of Botley has won two industry awards in as many weeks.

The start of the month saw the company triumph in the UK Anerobic Digestion & Biogas Awards, beating off stiff competition from a number of major industry operators.

Barfoots’ renewable energy development was recognised for its “excellent operational performance” and the “holistic nature” of the project, judges said. They praised how Barfoots tied in the utilisation of its own waste and provision of green energy throughout its facility with the use of the bi-product digestate as part of the company’s ongoing organic compost programme to reduce reliance on synthetic fertiliser.

Further success followed as the company won the People Award in Marks & Spencer’s Plan A Supplier Awards. This was given in recognition of the benefits the business brought to the communities in which it operates across Senegal.

Barfoots' managing director Julian Marks said: “It is a real honour to be recognised by the renewables industry and a leading retailer in such a positive way, and importantly is a well-received reward for the hard work that has been put into these projects by the team over the past three years.

“We will continue to push our environment innovation in the coming years and will work continuously on our commitment to sustainability leadership.

“As has been recognised with these awards, the results and impact on both the environment and people whom we deal with is hugely positive and is something the business takes great pride in.”