Speciality-Food-Magazine-September-2024

8 @specialityfood be announced on Tuesday 12th March at the FRA Conference at the Eastside Rooms in Birmingham. These include: • LARGE FARM SHOP OF THE YEAR sponsored by Fresh Retail • SMALL FARM SHOP OF THE YEAR sponsored by The Cress Company • FARM CAFE/RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR sponsored by Arrange Spaces The finalists of the pick your own category of the FRA’s FarmRetail Awards 2024 have been announced. Sponsored by Fieldfare, this award is designed to shine the spotlight on Britain’s best pick your own farms and has been judged earlier than the other categories in order for the visits to take place during peak pick your own season. The shortlisted businesses are: • CRAIGIE’S FARM, QUEENSFERRY • MANOR FARM FRUITS, TAMWORTH • GARSON FARM PYO, ESHER Emma Mosey, chair of the Farm Retail Association, said, “The first raft of finalists have been announced and the competition is fierce. The awards are now open, make sure you get your entries in to be part of this prestigious competition celebrating PYOs, farm shops and farmers markets nationally. This is a big year for FRA, we have plans for expansion and growth in the sector – come and be part of it!” The finalists for the remaining categories will be announced later in the year, and the awards will • FARM SHOP BUTCHERY OF THE YEAR sponsored by Angel Refrigeration Ltd • RISING STAR AWARD sponsored by Fieldfare • FARMERS MARKET OF THE YEAR sponsored by Moseley Farmers Market • ASSOCIATE MEMBER OF THE YEAR • LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD I recently saw an article headline declaring that August is one of the most dangerous months in the financial calendar. It was pointing out that the current fears of a recession in the US, the biggest one day fall on the Japanese stock exchange since 1987 and the absence of policymakers on their summer breaks are all familiar features of this quietest of months. Apparently the late summer period is a difficult time for financial markets as the VIX index (aka the Fear Index on Wall Street) is highest in the quarter from July to September. In other words, when it should be the most sublime part of the year there is trouble afoot. The evidence was supplied as follows: Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990, Russia financially collapsed in August 1998, the US sub-prime mortgage crisis was raging in August 2007 and in the UK historically three of the four devaluations of the pound that have occurred happened after a difficult August. In the Partridges retail sphere August is no walk in the park either. It is often the quietest month in the year, including January or February, and has no standout national events to provide a shot in the arm. It’s a good time to use up annual leave, to plan ahead for autumn and to reorganise things without disrupting the remaining customers. All in all, a period of downtime which can in some years seem like underwater swimming until September. JOHN SHEPHERD PARTRIDGES “August – themost dangerousmonth” And this year it has arrived at the end of a slow-motion roller- coaster period of shop sales. For example, in January our sales were 2.7% up compared to the same month in 2023. February 4.7% down. March 14.3% up but April 6.4% down. May was 1.7% up but June 4.8% down and July 6.3% up. As I write this halfway through August our sales for the year are so far 2.2% down on 2023. There are numerous well known background reasons for this lethargy. I read it was the sixth wettest spring on record (and the wettest since 1986) and indeed the wettest 18 months since records began in 1836. Recorded sunshine was also down significantly in the first six months and sunshine is the nectar that drives footfall to our speciality food products. There have also been the depressing pincer movements of a squeeze on household budgets and weak consumer confidence adding to all the political uncertainties and global conflicts. The other unsettling aspect about August is the feeling that it should be a time for pleasure and relaxation and well-rounded human beingness which often has the opposite effect. Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD is now recognised as affecting people not just in winter but also in summer as sufferers adjust to longer days and disrupted nights. On the shop floor the general summer increase in positive expectations can be deflated in August by a decrease in customers and all-round retail activity. However, August and the summertime blues will be quickly gone as what feels like a new year starts in September. We will, of course, claim to miss the halcyon days of summer – at least in the mind if not in the tills. August is a period of downtime whichcan in some years seemlike underwater swimming until September Meet the UK’s best pick your own farms All members of the Farm Retail Association are eligible to enter the awards free of charge