The Prince of Wales receives the Fortnum & Mason Special Award for his commitment to supporting food and farming communities

The Prince of Wales today visited Fortnum & Mason in London to receive a Special Award in recognition of his commitment to supporting food and farming communities in the UK.

As a farmer himself, The Prince of Wales is Patron or President of a number of organisations that help to preserve rural communities and protect British agriculture. HRH established The Prince's Countryside Fund in 2010, a charity that aims to improve the prospects of family farm businesses and the quality of rural life. The Prince is also Patron of the Soil Association and Garden Organic, both of which encourage organic farming and gardening. 

At the awards, The Prince met a number of guests including TV cook Mary Berry, Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain and radio presenter Chris Evans.

On accepting the award, The Prince of Wales said:

Thank you again for this much-appreciated award. Above all, it will continue to inspire me to hope that we can see a future for this country in concentrating on developing a reputation for the most environmentally-friendly food production system in the world, with products that tell a really good “story”, emphasize the importance of native breeds, support family farms and put soil health and fertility at the centre of the entire process.