KFE, The Blonde Beet and The Rutland Vineyard will battle it out for Environmental Champion at the Rutland & Stamford Mercury Business Awards 2023

Three people at the forefront of their businesses will be going head-to-head to be crowned Environmental Champion at the Mercury Business Awards.

KFE in Market Deeping, The Blonde Beet in Stamford and The Rutland Vineyard will be battling it out for the award during a ceremony at Rutland Hall Hotel, set to be held on September 15.

KFE is a supplier of equipment to the fish and chip industry.

Managing director Helen Edmonds said: “We are really proud to make the shortlist for the Environment Champion award as sustainability has always been at the heart of KFE. This is evident in our latest achievement, which saw us reach our goal of becoming a carbon neutral company in March.

“Being nominated is a great achievement in itself and if we win, it will be the icing on the cake. However, we know we are up against some great businesses all with equally impressive eco-credentials! KFE supplies Kiremko high efficiency frying ranges to the fish and chip shop market, equipment that allows operators to produce the UK’s number one takeaway while reducing their carbon emissions and gas usage by up to 50 per cent.

“We are very much looking forward to the award ceremony and having the opportunity to meet the other finalists as there is always something new to learn.

“We have a table of staff representing each department in the business attending the award ceremony.”

The Blonde Beet is a plant-based cafe and bistro, based in St Paul’s Street, Stamford, run by Jo Kemp.

No stranger to the awards, Jo took home the Best New Start-Up award last year, and she is also shortlisted in the Business Innovation category. This year, the restaurant launched a returnables cup scheme in response to customers’ feedback. She also composts most things with “not much” going to landfill and all the staff wear organic aprons.

Jo said she was “really surprised” to have been shortlisted again, adding: “We are determined to make a positive change.”

The Rutland Vineyard was founded when Zoe and Tim Beaver embarked on a mission to transform their farmland in Ketton into a vineyard.

Thousands of seeds were planted in the fields off Barrowden Road, Ketton and by next year the team will be harvesting grapes which will be turned into British wine.

An aim for The Rutland Vineyard is ‘getting people involved in the countryside’.

Tim said: “We are terribly passionate about the environment.

“The environment matters.

“It is the key to everything we do and it all adds up.

“We are trying to do 1,000 little things right in the hopes it ends up well.”

A nature walk at the Ketton site has been set up and fossils found in the field are on display.

Boards on the species which live at the farm, such as hedgehogs and hares have been popular with the children.

Last year the Rutland Vineyard won the Business Innovation category and this year they are also nominated for the Best New Start-Up award.

Environmental Champion is one of 10 categories in the Mercury Business Awards, sponsored by Upp.

If you want to find out more about the Mercury Business Awards, you can visit www.mercurybusinessawards.co.uk.

We also have sponsorship opportunities for businesses which want to support our event. To find out more, e-mail our head of events at: sharron.marriott@iliffepublishing.co.uk

With grateful thanks to our headline sponsor Upp and our category sponsors: PVS Media, Alltech, Stamford College, South Kesteven District Council, Chattertons, Hegarty Solicitors, Stork of Stamford and Downtown.