EXPANSION is on the horizon for an award-winning 75-year-old family firm near Bedale, now under the guidance of its third generation.

Nicola, Martin and Kevin Carrick, grandchildren of the founder of Carricks at Snape, are now among those guiding the fortunes of the company best known for selling fish, fruit and vegetables at markets in Bedale, Northallerton, Leyburn, Richmond and Ripon.

The firm, which has been supporting local markets for almost as long as it has been operating, was founded in 1929 by the late Herbert (Bert) Carrick, who moved to North Yorkshire because of the Depression in Hartlepool, where he had been a young merchant seaman and engineer.

When Carricks celebrated its 70th birthday in 1999, shoppers had a chance to buy new cod at old prices.

It hooked customers by making the offer to the first 100 people visiting its mobile shop at the Wednesday market in Northallerton. A hundred silver sixpences, representing 2.5p in decimal currency, given to early arrivals enabled them to reel in 1lb of fresh fish at prices unknown for decades.

Bert Carrick started his business at Rose Villa, Snape; moved to Yew Tree House in the village in 1940 and then to the present base at Green Pastures 45 years ago.

He began selling fish door-to-door in the area and moved into local markets when he discovered that they had butchers and bakers, but no fishmongers.

After he retired, the business was continued by his sons and joint partners, Peter and David. Peter established an associated fruit and vegetable business, which has continued to be run by a third son, John.

Peter and David have now also retired, considering that they had taken the firm as far as they could, although John continues to be active.

The fish, fruit and vegetable elements have now been amalgamated into one business known as Carricks Fish Ltd, reflecting the beginnings of the company as a new generation takes it forward.

The fish side is the responsibility of Nicola Carrick and her brother, Martin, while fruit and vegetables are run by Nicola's father and mother, John and Ann, and her other brother, Kevin.

Nicola's partner, Chris Revis, has joined the firm as business development and new projects manager from Orange, the mobile phone company in Darlington, where he was an accounts manager.

Carricks has just won a major award in a national competition run at Olympia, London, by the Guild of Fine Food Retailers.

There were more than 4,000 entries in the running for gold, silver and bronze awards in various categories. To reach the final stage entrants had to win a gold award and have the product sampled, a process which reduced the number of final contenders to 12.

Carricks won gold awards for smoked haddock and large kippers and a bronze for bloaters.

Its ultimate accolade was the award for best speciality food from Yorkshire, natural oak smoked haddock from a Hull supplier with whom Carricks have been dealing for 50 years.

Redevelopment on the site at Snape has seen old buildings demolished and replaced by a single new one, housing the fish, fruit and vegetable operations, a fish smoking area and packaging and dispatch sections.

The next step will be to redevelop a building in the yard, at present used for storage and refrigeration, as offices and a farm shop selling predominantly fine foods from Yorkshire and also offering a mail order service and gifts.

Planning permission has been granted and Mr Revis said it was hoped to start building in the next few weeks.

"We are looking to move into the office this year, but we have to get the shop absolutely right before we decide when to open it," he said.

Carricks employs ten full-time staff, with some part-timers mainly on Saturdays, but the planned new development offers an opportunity for job creation because a manager will be needed for the shop.

Nicola Carrick said the aim was to become a "one stop shop" giving a better service to existing customers but also supplying specialist shops and the delicatessen market through a licence towards which Carricks were working.

Carricks' family atmosphere extends to the staff, one of whom has been with the firm for 30 years.

Nicola, who returned to Carricks after working for seven years in a technical position in the food industry, said: "Most of the families who have lived in Snape have had someone working here. We have quite a good team now.

"Almost as soon as they could walk, the children of the family were helping and, even when they were at college or university, they always had to come back and help out."