THE first winners of a new award celebrated their success after almost deciding not to enter.

Andrew and Maria Henshaw, who run the Mainsgill Farm shop and tea room at East Layton, near Richmond, were surprised and delighted to hear they had scooped the new enterprise trophy in the Yorkshire Agricultural Society farm enterprise awards.

They were presented with the silver cup by society president Peter Smith at the showground on Wednesday.

Also among the winners were George Barker and his son, Neil, whose Thornbrough Farm in Thirsk Road, Northallerton, took the dairy trophy.

Mr and Mrs Henshaw, who run 150 cattle and 50 breeding ewes at their 57-acre holding by the A66, opened a farm shop and tea room last summer.

Mr Henshaw said they had spotted an article in the D&S Times earlier in the year about the farm enterprise awards and his wife and persuaded him that they should enter.

"We were very busy in the shop one Saturday morning when the phone rang and they just told us we had won," he said. "We were absolutely delighted and surprised, too."

The business continued to grow and the couple hoped to expand the meat side in the coming months, he added. "We are getting people who stopped at the shop last summer while they were on holiday returning specially this year while they are staying in the area," said Mr Henshaw.

The new enterprise award was introduced this year to encourage on-farm projects to increase income and the judges were impressed at the breadth of entries.

Neil Barker family accepted the dairy award on behalf of his family, which has farmed its 245-acre holding since 1961.

He took over its management seven years ago and it now comprises 53 acres of maize and the remainder permanent pasture. Particular emphasis is on feeding and canadian genetics.

Latest additions are a rapid exit milking parlour and a 150 unit accommodation for cows.

The overall farming enterprises champion was Angul Wielkopolski, winner of the category for farms up to 350 acres.

He runs St Helen's Farm at Seaton Ross, near York, with his wife, Kathleen, and the couple have 2,500 goats, including British Alpine, British Toggenburg and British Saanen.

The 150-acre holding produces milk, yoghurt, butter, cream, cheese and ice cream under the St Helen's Farm brand.

Other award winners were:

Arable: Roger Jewitt, of J W Jewitt and Son, Naburn Lodge Farm, Naburn, York; conservation: Jim Rawson, JSR Farms Ltd, Catwick Grange, Catwick, Beverley; young management: Richard Morritt, Low Moor Farm, Sand Hutton, York.

Derek Ibbotson, of Lodge Farm, Colton, Tadcaster, received a special commendation in the new enterprise section for his refrigerated potato store which allows growers to store crops for food processor McCain