Clinton Devon Estate wins second prestigious award

Clinton Devon Estates has been presented with the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in recognition of its sustainability credentials.

It is the second time in five years that the land management business – which includes Farmers Weekly‘s organic southwest Management Matters farm – has won the award.

The company is entitled to use and display the Queen’s Award Emblem for five years and winners will also attend a special reception at Buckingham Palace later this month.

“This award acknowledges our responsible stewardship and our effectiveness in managing a very complex countryside business based around a 500-year-old estate,” estates director John Varley said.

“Through the sensible development and careful conservation of our land, we are providing a fertile environment for business success while effectively preserving it for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations.”

The Clinton Devon Estate includes two organic home farms in East Devon, a wooden gates business and a major equestrian venue. It also uses woodchip produced from its forests to fuel a biomass boiler in the estate office and other buildings in the county.

The 2010 award citation commended Clinton Devon Estates for demonstrating “significant ongoing achievement in all aspects of sustainability, with an array of new initiatives aimed at enhancing its environmental stewardship role, operational transparency and resource optimisation… Equally commendable is its desire to not just develop best practice, but disseminate this within its sector and beyond.”