The co-manager of a popular farm near High Wycombe said recognition from local awarding bodies is a ‘delightful’ testament to the seven generations of his family who have worked to maintain it.
Will Lacey, 34, and his twin brother Ed are the seventh generation to take the helm at Laceys Family Farm, a hybrid agricultural hub, shop and butchers in Lane End that dates back to the 19th century.
The farm in its current form was founded by Percy Lacey with a three Guernsey cow herd in 1936, and it was Will and Ed who had the idea of launching a shop packed with homegrown produce in 2016.
Since then – and before – it’s been a tale of continual expansion and, with the brothers’ first glitzy award ceremony under their belt this week, the thoroughly local enterprise finally seems to be reaping all that it has sown over the last 90-odd years.
Hot off the heels of being named Best Farm Shop/Deli across the Bucks and Oxfordshire regions at the Muddy Stilettos Awards, Laceys picked up a gold award for Family Business of the Year and a silver nod for Small Business of the Year at the SME MK and Bucks Business Awards on Monday (June 24).
Will said it was the first proper awards ceremony he’d been to – “We definitely didn’t expect to win” – and as well as proving a “fascinating experience” and glitzy night out at Milton Keynes Stadium, the ‘family’ component of the win struck a particularly resonant chord.
“These kinds of awards are a great way to support local businesses and it was amazing to be involved, but winning Best Family Business was a massive thing for all of us.
“My dad and uncle are very involved too, and the farm's grown so much from just three people to 35. It really feels like everyone’s a part of the family.
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“The support and connection and encouragement from the local community has been amazing too. Farming isn’t the easiest industry, but we’ve benefitted so much from the customer support of selling directly through our shop.
“That’s definitely the growth area that we’re focused on now – gearing our farm work towards expanding the range of food we can sell and making better use of all our high-quality produce. We also just can’t keep up with the demand!”
Laceys Farm Shop sells milk and cheese from the farm’s pedigree herd of Guernsey cows alongside pastries, deli products, bread and fresh fruit and vegetables.
Arguably equally as rewarding as recognition from bodies like SME News is the local pride and excitement generated by the large-scale celebration of a business so deeply embedded in the region’s history.
Will said: “We’ve had so much positive feedback from customers and the businesses we’ve been supplying to for years. We’re delighted about the award, obviously, but it also really helps to build those connections and put more high-quality products into the area.
“Local people benefit from the range and level of food we’re producing, and that gives us more room to explore things like environmental and biodiversity farming schemes. It’s a win-win.”
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