The annual Peterborough Dinner welcomed over 150 guests from across the agricultural and horticultural sector in a celebratory dinner that also hosted the East of England Agricultural Society’s Long Service Awards and the Tony Whitsed Award.
©Tim Scrivener Photographer
With ingredients sourced locally from farmers and food producers that are members of the East of England Agricultural Society, the four-course dinner included: Roast Rib of Beef sourced from Woburn Country Foods; organic potatoes, parsnips and carrots generously donated by Burgess Farms; red and savoy cabbage, broccoli, leeks and celery generously donated by Lincolnshire Farm Produce; Stilton cheese sourced from Cropwell Bishop Creamery; Red Leicestershire cheese sourced from Leicestershire Handmade Cheese Co.; Whyte Wytch cheese sourced from Whyte Wytch; and wine selected by Philip Amp of Amps Wine Merchants.
The tables were beautifully adorned with flower arrangements by Mary Allen and these were taken to the Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice after the dinner.
Following the superb dinner, Charlie Reynolds, chairman of the East of England Agricultural Society, was delighted to present two Long Service Awards. The awards recognise member employees that have worked for one employer in the agricultural and horticultural sector for longer than 25 years, with recognition going to Ronnie Tomlin, employee for 28 years as an agricultural worker for Moor Farm, Newborough, Peterborough, and to Stephen Graham for 36 years as farm foreman for WA Wade-Gery Ltd, Bolnhurst.
Society President, John Holdich with Stephen Graham
©Tim Scrivener Photographer
A remarkable further 21 Long Service Awards will be awarded to various employees at the Abbots Ripton Estate at their Christmas lunch later this year, whilst Stuart Paton was awarded the Tony Whitsed Award.
Mrs Tracy Riddington and Mrs Kay Graves were also presented with a gift of thanks and flowers from the Chairman in recognition of their many years of being on the Equifest Committee and more recently as Joint Chair of the event.
The Awards presentation was followed by the popular after dinner speaker and third-generation Derbyshire dairy and sheep hill farmer, Peter Slack.
East of England Agricultural Society Interim Chief Executive, Alistair Beattie, said: “We were delighted to welcome back so many familiar faces from the sector to our Peterborough Dinner – is such a wonderful celebration of everything our surrounding agricultural and horticultural industries have to offer to the community.”
“It is always such a joy to celebrate the beautiful food grown and produced in the East of England, and we thank all those enterprises for their contributions.”
“The Long Service Awards are the Society remains committed to appreciating the dedication that many workers in the East of England area make to the agricultural and horticultural sector, and we are delighted to ensure that those employees are recognised in this way. I extend my congratulations to the winners.”
