Marketing success for watercress

Jazz apples

Anthony Snell

Anthony Snell

Herefordshire soft-fruit grower AJ & CI Snell snapped up the 2008 Grower of the Year award at the Royal Lancaster hotel in London last night.

Judges selected the company for its “outstanding example of a commercial horticulture business that is continually moving forward thanks to great business management backed up by a clear strategy, strong leadership, a commitment to operational efficiency and a willingness to invest for the future”.

AJ & CI Snell was the winner in the awards’ edible categories, with Majestic Trees picking up the Ornamental Grower of the Year.

The other big winners of the evening were:

• Cut Flower Grower of the Year - Springfields Fresh Produce

• Best New Variety - Jazz apple, Worldwide Fruit

• Vegetable Grower of the Year - Watton Produce

• Top Fruit Grower of the Year - Highland Court Farm

• Salad Grower of the Year - The Watercress Company

• Prepared Fresh Produce of the Year - Alfred G Pearce

• Organic Grower of the Year - Loveden Estates

• Consumer Marketing Campaign of the Year - Wendy Akers PR for the Watercress Alliance

• Business Initiative of the Year - Hillier Nurseries - The Streetwise Range

• Trade Marketing Campaign of the Year - John Woods Nurseries

• Science into Practice - New Farm Produce - Development of asparagus heating project