Mary Arden’s Farm in Warwickshire, has won the Best Organic Farm Visit category at the 2014 Soil Association Organic Awards recently. The other finalist in this category was Sheepdrove Organic Farm in Berkshire.

Previously known as the Organic Food Awards, the awards – sponsored by Organic Milk Suppliers Cooperative, OMSCo, and O’live house – have been showcasing the best in organic for 28 years. 2014 saw an expanded range of categories for the first time so that organic fashion, restaurants, health and beauty products and even holidays can be recognised.

This year sees the inclusion of an online consumer vote, where the public were able to vote for their favourites in each category throughout Organic September – a month-long celebration of all things organic, led by the Soil Association. The awards received over 11,000 public votes.

Initial shortlisting for each category was undertaken by panel of well-respected and high profile judges including organic beauty brand founder and TV personality, Jo Wood; Liz Earle, ethical entrepreneur, writer, presenter & organic farmer, and Daily Telegraph writer, Xanthe Clay.

This year the judges based their decisions not only the quality of the product, but the organic story behind it – such as how the business and product went the extra mile in animal welfare, protecting the environment and wildlife, promoting health and serving the community.

Mary Arden’s Farm is a real working Tudor farm which offers visitors the chance to experience life on a 16th century farm, just as William Shakespeare would have known it when he was a boy visiting his mother’s family home.

Managed organically for the past 14 years, it is a haven for rare breed livestock and wildlife alike. The farm is managed by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, the charity that cares for the five Shakespeare Family Homes and Gardens in Stratford-upon-Avon, and promotes the enjoyment and understanding of Shakespeare’s works, life and times all over the world.

Joe Moore, farm manager at Mary Arden’s Farm commented: “Winning this award is a well deserved recognition of all the hard work our farm team have put in over the past 14 years. The award also highlights the important educational role visitor attractions, like Mary Arden’s Farm, can play in the organic movement.

"We are planning to build upon this award by enhancing our educational offerings and tying together the ideals of modern organic farming with the idea of preserving the rich biodiversity mentioned in the works of William Shakespeare himself. We also want to thank visitors to the farm, old and new, for their continuous support over the years.”

For more information, visit www.shakespeare.org.uk.