Messrs Parkinson have been awarded the inaugural Marks & Spencer / Dawn Meats Swaledale Producer of the Year award 2016 at the Swaledale Lamb producer meeting in Malham in the Yorkshire Dales.

The Parkinson family farm at Hareden, is in the heart of the Trough of Bowland, in Lancashire. Most of the farm land is moorland, rising to 1800 feet above sea level.  There is only a small percentage of meadowland, the remainder is hill pasture. The 1,030 hectare farm, is tenanted from United Utilities, and has approximately 1,000 Swaledale breeding ewes and a beef suckler herd.

Dawn Meats has worked with the Swaledale Lamb Society for a number of years developing and supplying bespoke Marks & Spencer Swaledale Lamb for their Speciality Lamb range. The period of supply is between January and early May each season and the sixth season has just finished.

Anna Playfair- Hannay, M&S Agricultural Manager commented: “I’m delighted to be able to present this award to Messrs Parkinson. The continued support and collaboration we have with the Swaledale Lamb group means we can continue to offer our customers something very special and unique to Marks & Spencer.”

Mr. Isla Roebuck, Operations Director Dawn Meats (UK) commented: “We have now had six seasons of Swaledale Lamb in the Marks & Spencer Speciality lamb range which has been very successful with our customers. In order to recognise the efforts of the Swaledale Lamb producers involved in this supply chain we have presented a cup to the producer that has had the best hit rate for weight and grade over the period of supply from January to early May this year. Congratulations to Messrs Parkinson on winning the cup this year and we look forward to next season which will be our seventh.”