Local farmer, Copas, celebrates double prize win in Great British Food Awards for tastiest turkey and chickens

With great timing ahead of Christmas, popular local farmer Tom Copas together with his estate manager Ed Hurford have won two awards in the Great British Food Awards, announced on 28 October - winning Silver for their Traditional Turkey, and Bronze for their Whole Chicken from sister company The Thoughtful Producer. The highly competitive and prestigious scheme was created to celebrate the best of British artisanal produce.

Entries in the award are judged by a panel of celebrity chefs, Michelin-starred restaurateurs, popular food critics, influencers, buyers and food writers, including Raymond Blanc, Michel Roux, Gizzi Erksine and Olly Smith using blind tasting, so none of the tasters know which supplier’s products they’re tasting at the time.

The Copas farm near Cookham Dean is well known for its flocks of turkeys and the companion alpacas who help protect them from foxes, with the award wins demonstrating what Tom Copas has always said:

"It might sound odd, but the truth is that happy turkey is tasty turkey," said Tom. “Turkeys that have grown to maturity with a healthy diet and the freedom to run around in an open field are absolutely going to taste better than turkeys who haven’t had that freedom.

“It’s a great honour to see both our turkey and chicken recognised by the Great British Food Awards. We are devoted to raising the highest welfare, delicious poultry in Britain and it’s great to have them independently validated in this way.”

The focus on quality and taste through higher welfare and humane animal husbandry practices has been vital to the success of the Copas farm and given rise to their name, ‘Very, Very Special Turkeys’.

The feedback on the Copas winning turkey endorses the farms’ ethos and values: “This standout turkey really impressed the judges at the Great British Food Awards. With juicy, flavoursome and moist meat it makes for a knock-out centrepiece and would certainly be a crowd-pleaser on Christmas Day. We also loved how well packaged it came and the addition of clear, easy-to-follow cooking instructions.”

Tom, who regularly gives turkey cooking and carving demonstrations at local events explains why the Copas turkey is particularly moist and easy to cook:

“Our turkeys are given time to develop a natural, mature bone and muscle structure. Because we slow rear to six months old, the birds grow a layer of fat under their skin that makes them easy to cook and taste fantastic.”

Readers will be able to test the quality of Copas’ turkeys for themselves at the region’s first turkey tasting of the season at Peach Croft Farm near Abingdon on November 16th from 10 – 2pm where Tom will be giving a turkey carving demonstration.

The event is open to the public and heralds the start of the Christmas season with live music and seasonal decorations with tasty turkey also the centre of attention.

“This will be a fun event where we can celebrate our award wins and let people judge for themselves just how tasty our higher welfare turkeys really are. It’s not easy raising turkeys to the highest welfare standards, it’s teamwork and I’d Iike to say a huge thank you to Ed and everyone on the farm who has helped us win these awards.”

He adds, “I’d also like to say congratulations to our sister company The Thoughtful Producer, for winning a Bronze award for their Whole Chicken. It is literally a sister company as my sister and I run it together, but again thanks to the team.”

Copas ‘Very, Very Special’ Traditional Turkey tasting and carving demonstration Saturday 16 November 10 – 2 pm, Peach Croft Farm, White’s Lane, Radley, Abingdon OX14 2HP.

Several other products from Copas were also finalists in the Great British Food Awards including the Copas Free Range Rack of Lamb; Grass Fed Sirloin Steaks, Classic Cranberry Sauce and Copas Cold Pressed Rosemary & Garlic Oil.