UK's Best Farm Café / Restaurant of 2022

Outstanding farm retailers were crowned winners on Tuesday 1st March in a national award ceremony held to celebrate the very best in the business.

Winners were selected in the prestigious awards organized by the Farm Retail Association (FRA) which was formed in 1979 to support the industry. The Farm Retail Awards (sponsored by specialist retailer COOK) are the only awards judged by fellow farm retailers and celebrate the best farm shops, farm cafés and restaurants, farmers’ markets and trade suppliers in the country.

The Lambing Shed based in Knutsford, are incredibly proud to have won the UK’s Best Café / Restaurant of the year. Judges noted the high quality of food and service and hailed the Lambing Shed’s café as a superb example of a business which understands its customer profile and then delivers a range of food and service to meet their customer’s needs.

The Lambing Shed Farm Shop and Kitchen is set in over 400 acres of Cheshire farmland, housed in the very building where Farmer Arnold Mitchell and his son Michael reared their sheep over 60 years ago. The Mitchell family decided to open The Lambing Shed in 2015, in order to showcase their award -winning home-reared beef and lamb, along with the very best Cheshire has to offer in terms of fine food and drink.

The Lambing Shed serves a delicious menu based entirely around local, high-quality produce and the finest meat from their Butchery. We are completely committed to the philosophy of 'farm to table'. We firmly believe this is the best way to enjoy delicious food that is also nutritious.

Director Kathryn Mitchell, daughter of owners Sue and Michael, said: "We are absolutely over the moon to have won. I am so unbelievably proud of the whole team, it’s been a very difficult two years for everyone in hospitality and the team are so passionate and work so hard to make The Lambing Shed a success. From head chef to kitchen porter, everyone plays a crucial role, and we couldn’t do it without each and every one of them. I have lived in Knutsford my whole life and we love being part of the community. To be recognised nationally as Farm Shop Café of the Year is amazing, and we have had such lovely messages of congratulations from our customers, we are so grateful for their support."