Stephen Thompson announced as Special Achievement of the Year National Pig Awards winner
Last night the National Pig Awards were held in London where Meadow Quality sponsored the Special Achievement Award. Our Commercial Director and head of the pig department Simon Davies went along and represented Meadow Quality.
The winner of the award went to Stephen Thompson of Moss Valley Fine Meats.
Stephen was handed the award by comedian Marcus Brigstocke at a prestigious ceremony at London’s Lancaster Hotel on Monday night (November 18).
Stephen Thompson is the owner of Moss Valley Fine Meats, a Derbyshire-based business that has 220 sows to finish and an on-farm butchery that uses only its own stock. Mr Thompson left school and went to Nottingham University, where he not only got a degree in agriculture, but met Karen, who now runs the pig unit, while he works on the butchery side. The pig unit was started as soon as Mr Thompson left university, with him building new sheds and expanding each year. He is now refurbishing sheds each year, with the greatest use of easy-to-clean plastic, so the business can keep disease levels low.
The judges said: “Stephen’s programme of refurbishment and dietary adjustment, coupled with a strict biosecurity protocol has delivered phenomenally low anti-microbial usage.”
The National Pig Awards are staged annually by Pig World and Lewis Business Media to recognise excellence and innovation in the pig sector. This was the biggest event yet with around 450 people from across the industry in attendance.
Pig World publisher Simon Lewis said: “Congratulations to Stephen Thompson who was the deserved winner on the night. Once again these awards have highlighted the breadth and depth of talent, drive and ambition in the pig sector and is a pleasure to recognise the winners, but also all of those shortlisted, which, in itself, is a great achievement.”
Head judge Stewart Houston said: “As always, every category posed some real dilemmas for the judges, such was the excellence of all the entries. But congratulations to all the winners, who each managed to demonstrate something different and special about their businesses.
