We were praised in the Houses of Parliament for our dedication to providing British and locally sourced food into the heart of its community.
Meon Valley MP, Flick Drummond, recognised us during her tribute to Hampshire Farm Shops for their hard work and high quality produce.
During a ‘Back British Farming’ debate, Ms Drummond called for the tax duty on sparkling wine to be reduced in her bid to support local vineyards and shops in Hampshire, such as Westlands Farm Shop.
Sparkling wine currently attracts a higher duty rate than non-sparkling wine and by lowering the tax rate it will help local vineyards thrive and boost sales in farm shops because wine drinkers can enjoy it with a lower duty.
As a supporter of the Hampshire farming community, Ms Drummond said: “The Meon Valley constituency has a range of farms and agricultural businesses contributing to a thriving economy, from traditional family farms to vineyards.
“I’d like to pay tribute to them and their employees, who work so hard to bring high-quality produce to the market in the UK and around the world.”
“I’d also like to pay tribute to all our farm shops, such as Westlands Farm Shop in Wickham, for selling British food and, as mentioned before, getting local food into local shops, so that local people can buy it. That is very important.”
Westlands Farm Shop owner Kayleigh Collet said: “We were delighted to be mentioned in the Houses of Parliament because Ms Drummond has highlighted that buying from local and British farm shops is a great way to help the local economy, environment and our communities. As a stockist of local wine, we are hopeful that the duty rate on sparkling wines will be reduced so we can see an increase in sales and continue to support local vineyards by sourcing more of their produce.”
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