Yorkshire pig producer Anna Longthorp has won the Chris Brant Award, in recognition of her role in the #BiteIntoBritish campaign and the money for charity that it has raised.
Over the past year, Anna, who runs Anna’s Happy Trotters, has done a huge amount to raise awareness of the plight facing British pig farmers and wider industry by urging consumers to ‘Bite Into British’ and ‘Back British Farming’.
This has included developing a range of #BiteIntoBritish merchandise, including gilets, hoodies, hats and caps and more, which, with generous sponsorship from ForFarmers, Cargill & Duynie, has raised over £5,000 for farming charities.
Anna received a warm ovation when she received the accolade from her dad, Richard, a previous winner, himself, at the National Pig Awards in London.
The award is all about going the extra mile for the pig industry, Richard said. “Chris Brant was blunt, stubborn, determined and edgy but a great guy who cared passionately about the whole British Pig Industry. His glass was always half full,” he added.
“The judges saw those characteristics in abundance in this year’s winner. Praised for their positive, albeit forthright, attitude when appearing in or on the media, one judge said:
“They have a positive can and will do approach to the current crisis.” He went on: “Not prepared to sit back and go down without a fight, they have been both challenging but positive and constructive, working tirelessly promoting our fantastic British pork industry.”
He highlighted how has embraced the power of social media, ‘putting in the hard yards in keeping the issues and the potential solutions extensively aired, highlighted and contemporary’.
“As one judge put it: “This is not a 5 minute a day task it is full on realtime 24/7,” he added.
“The winner has not only contributed significantly to a punchy social media campaign but, recognising their wider social responsibilities, is now busy running an initiative that the whole pig industry should be proud of and get behind.”
As he announced the winner and called her to the stage, he concluded: “Hashtag #BiteIntoBritish, #Won’tBeBeaten, #StubbornAsAMule, #FightingForFairness.”
Good company
Anna said she was in ‘absolute awe of previous winners’ of the Chris Brant Award, such as Rita Wells, who has made a huge contribution to Ladies in Pigs (LIPs). “I’m in good company I know that much!” she said.
“We, the younger generation, have had in the ‘front row’, Crabbers (Hugh Crabtree), JC (John Cusson) and my amazing DAD.
“The pig industry has been through so many rough times and our younger generation have been so lucky to have the stalwarts of our industry stand by our side, guide us, motivate us and just be a HUGE comfort blanket in these awful times.
“And we also have a little something to give to our AMAZING FRONT ROW that have been there by our side on campaign days and zoom calls and basically a counselling service for the ‘young guns’.
“I strive in life for fairness, much like Dad. And seeing what the industry has been through over the last 18 months and seeing the unfairness in the supply chain rear its ugly head again … AGAIN!
“There are organisations IN THIS SUPPLY CHAIN who are abusing their size and their power. Do as you say on the tin people and that goes to every single person in this supply chain – act with honour, act with integrity, and appreciate our supply chain.
“If you have any doubt of the integrity of the organisation you’re working for, you’d be very much appreciated by the independents and you’d have a voice and an empathetic ear.
“I am fed up of skirting around supply chain issues – we need to stop the bullies and make the bloody supply chain fair!”