Bedfordshire’s chilli guru, Joanna Plumb has just received yet another accolade as ‘Grower of the Year 2011’, when her Chawston based nursery Edible Ornamentals won the award for the best Trade Marketing Campaign of the Year.
Over 500 professional growers from across the UK attended the award ceremony which was held at London’s Lancaster Hotel and hosted by TV celebrity Paul Ross. Arranged by Horticulture Week, and sponsored by national brands including ASDA, the National Farmers Union and BBC’s Gardeners World Live, ‘Grower of the Year’ awards are considered the Oscars of the horticulture industry.
Joanna commented, “Quality and freshness underlines everything we do. We have always encouraged our customers to pick chillies or any of the other vegetables we grow at Edible Ornamentals straight from the plant and use them immediately to get the very best flavours in their home cooking. Our campaign has been successful, because the demand for our chillies keeps growing, and this award just proves that you don’t have to be a giant in the industry to make a difference. After all good produce is about quality, not quantity.”
Renowned for the fresh chillies she supplies to Fortnum and Masons, Harrods and leading London restaurants, Joanna was awarded Local Food Hero for East Anglia in 2010. She has appeared on numerous radio and television programmes, and has been visited by many of the UK’s leading culinary experts.
- e n d s –
Date 23rd February 2011
Editor’s notes
More about Edible Ornamentals
Edible Ornamentals is Bedfordshire’s leading producer of high quality chillies and a range of fresh vegetables that visitors can pick straight from the plant. As well as local farmer’s markets they also supply fresh chillies to Morrison’s stores in Eastern England via the ‘From My Farm’ brand as well as Harrods, Fortnum and Masons and leading London restaurants. Joanna’s special chilli sauces are available from the nursery and local Waitrose stores.
Edible Ornamentals has featured in the national daily press, The Economist and leading national trade publications The Grocer and Fresh Produce Journal. Joanna has featured as a chilli expert on BBC’s 3 Counties Radio, Radio 2’s ‘Chris Evans Show’, and Radio 4’s ‘You and Yours’ and has appeared in several TV programmes including BBC TV’s ‘Ready Steady Cook’, BBC 2’s Economy Gastronomy, Good Food Channel’s ‘Market Kitchen’ and ITV’s ‘Countrywise’.
Edible Ornamentals won the Best Effective Promotional Campaign category in the 2010 Conquest Business Awards, and was awarded the accolade of ‘Local Food Hero for East Anglia by Good Food Channel’s Market Kitchen.
In 2010, Edible Ornamentals also partnered with Virgin and offers special half day Chilli Experience days.
As well as fresh chillies and chilli plants, Edible Ornamentals also grow and sell a range of fresh vegetables, including tomatoes, aubergines, lettuce, Swiss chard, and sweet corn, which visitors can pick straight from the plant
For further information about Edible Ornamentals Company visit
