Marldon Christmas Tree Farm in Devon has won the accolade of providing the Christmas tree for Downing Street after being crowned Champion Christmas Tree Grower of the Year.
The winner of "Champion Festive Wreath" is Friezeland Christmas Tree Farm, Warwickshire, and they will provide the wreath for the door of the Prime Minister’s residence.
Organised by the British Christmas Tree Growers Association (BCTGA), the annual competition has been running since 1999.
Red Shepherdess Hannah Jackson was the celebrity judge for this year’s competition which took place at The Tree Barn, Greenfeld Farm, Oxfordshire.
Hannah is a Cumbrian farmer who’s featured on Countryfile, SAS Who Dares Wins and is a Sunday Times Bestselling author with her book, Call Me Red. She selected the best tree and wreath together with last year’s winner Oliver Combe of York Christmas Trees after members shortlisted the entries by voting for their favourites.
This year saw more entries than ever before with 73 Christmas trees entered and 26 wreaths from growers all over the UK.
Heather Parry, Managing Agent for BCTGA, said: “Today has been incredible, the standard of the entries was so high, it was a tough choice for the members and finally for Hannah who had the final vote. Our congratulations go to Marldon Christmas Tree Farm which not only win the overall grower of the year award but also took a total of four awards.”
Marldon Christmas Tree Farm, based in Marldon, Paignton, Devon, won Best Natural Wreath, Best Pine and runner up of Best Other Spruce.
Hannah said: “It’s been such an honour to judge today, I am absolutely blown away by the work that goes into Christmas trees. It’s been a tough competition to judge but for me the Pine was the winner as we have always had a Pine Christmas Tree in our family.”
Sadie Lynes owner of Marldon Christmas Tree Farm said: “I was not expecting to win! I have been growing trees for 30 years, my father started the business and after all the learning and travelling I have done, I have bought it back home to our plantation in Devon. People don’t realise that you’re out there every day in the summer pruning and the amount of work that goes into producing trees to a certain standard every year is immense and today has made it all worth it.”
Other winners included:
Champion Christmas Tree Grower of the Year – Marldon Christmas Tree Farm, Devon (Supplier of 2021 tree for 10 Downing Street)
Runner Up Christmas Tree Grower of the Year – Hans Christmas Anderson, Surrey
Best Pine Winner – Marldon Christmas Tree Farm, Devon
Best Pine Runner Up – Digby Farm, Leicestershire
Best Norway Spruce Winner – Oakberry Trees, Leicestershire
Best Norway Spruce Runner Up – Dinmore Hill Christmas Trees, Hereford
Best Spruce Other Winner – Hans Christmas Anderson, Surry
Best Spruce Other Runner Up – Marldon Christmas Tree Farm, Devon
Best Nordmann Fir Winner- Dinmore Hill Christmas Trees, Hereford
Best Nordmann Fir Runner Up – Hans Christmas Anderson, Surry
Best Fir Other Winner – Bishops Offley Christmas Trees, Staffordshire
Best Fir Other Runner Up – Scottish Christmas Trees, Dumfries and Galloway
Best Container Grown Tree Winner – Bishops Offley Christmas Trees, Staffordshire
Best Container Grown Tree Runner Up – Keele Christmas Tree Farm, Staffordshire
Wreaths
Champion Festive Wreath – Friezeland Christmas Tree Farm, Warwickshire
Best Natural Wreath Winner - Marldon Christmas Tree Farm, Devon
Best Natural Wreath Runner Up – Newbury Christmas Tree Farm
Best Decorated Wreath Winner – Friezeland Christmas Tree Farm, Warwickshire
Best Decorated Wreath Runner Up – Santa Trees, Cornwall
Film
Best Short Film Winner– Hans Christmas Anderson, Surrey
Brest Short Film Runner Up – Gower Fresh Christmas Trees, Wales
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Jo Francisco
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EDITOR’S NOTES
• The British Christmas Tree Growers Association (BCTGA) is the trade association for those who grow specialist Christmas Trees in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Visit www.bctga.co.uk and see @BCTGA
• The BCTGA was first established in 1980 and now has more than 320 members.
• BCTGA members abide by a Code of Practice to promote trees being grown in an environmental and sustainable way.
• The BCTGA is managed by Yorkshire Agricultural Society (YAS), a registered charity which supports and promotes the farming industry through health care, education and funding scientific research into rural affairs.