BOOM Awards 2021

Main image: Maddocks Farm Organics’ floral salad

Maddocks Farm Organics’ floral salad was named Winner of Winners at the BOOM Awards 2021 – the UK’s only organic awards – which took place on Thursday 08 July in London.

As a result of the win, the salad – which notably includes ‘no lettuce’ and ‘very little that you might recognise as conventional salad leaves’ – will be given the opportunity to be listed with Ocado. The online retailer stocks the largest range of organic products in the UK. 

Winner highlights

The Best of the Organic Market (BOOM) Awards 2021, organised by leading organic certifier Soil Association Certification and headline sponsored by Ocado, celebrated the businesses, producers and brands who are working hard to produce organic food and drink – as well as recognising those innovating in the organic sector more broadly.

Maddocks Farm Organics’ floral salad took the Winner of Winner’s prize, which comes with the possibility of a listing with Ocado.

Zaytoun Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil took the Nation’s Favourite award – one of only two accolades at the BOOM Awards voted for by the public.

The winner of the Best Online Retailing category, sponsored by My Green Pod, was Abel & Cole.

In other notable wins, Arla Foods scooped the Marketing Campaign award for the Yeo Valley Organic ‘Put Nature First’ Biodiversity Campaign; Tabitha James Kraan won the Hair Care Brand award; Natracare was awarded the Health & Personal Care award and Frugi was named winner of the Fashion & Textiles award.

‘We’re delighted that our floral salad has won the Winner of Winner’s award. It’s a huge achievement as the other winners from this year’s BOOM Awards include some incredible food and drink businesses and products!

‘Growing organic edible flowers has been at the core of our business and whilst we are only a small three-acre farm, we’re excited to begin discussions with Ocado, in the hope that more people will get to enjoy our products.

‘Being organic as a producer is fundamental to who we are and what we do. For us being organic is about putting the planet first, and nurturing and nourishing the soil that gives us these amazing plants that we can then create joyful, wonderful products with. If we’re taking out, then it is essential that the process we use is restorative and ‘puts back’ too.’

JAN BILLINGTON
Maddock’s Farm Organics

A thriving organic market

The triumph of these products and businesses, along with the host of other category winners, comes at a time when the organic market is thriving; having grown by 12.5% in 2020 – significantly more than non-organic at 8.9% – it’s now worth £2.79bn.

Latest figures from NielsenIQ Scantrack show organic sales have only dropped back to 9.4% as things have returned to some degree of normality. Non-organic sales have dropped back by a greater percentage (5.6% growth).

This is a strong indication that shoppers are sticking to organic choices made in lockdown, and that the message on organic and sustainability is hitting home.

‘Nature has the answer’

The celebration of the organic sector is set to continue with Organic September not far away.

Throughout the month, the whole sector will come together in a joined-up campaign to reinforce the benefits organic has for nature and the planet – uniting behind the message that ‘nature has the answer, and the answer is organic’.

Retailers, brands, restaurants and caterers are encouraged to get involved by visiting the Soil Association website, where a host of resources can be found.

The Organic Trade Board is providing GOTs-certified organic cotton tote bags for independent retailers to give away on Organic September Saturday, which lands on the first weekend of the campaign, 04 September, this year.