William Buchanan, managing director of Gressingham Foods was presented with the award at the FDA Group’s 10th Presidents’ Dinner, hosted at the House of Commons on this week.

The award was presented by the evening’s special guest, MP George Eustice, the DEFRA Minister for Farming & Food.

The accolade, which is awarded at the discretion of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, is the latest in a raft of awards to be scooped by Gressingham Foods. Recent wins include being awarded Gold in the ‘Packaging. Branded Food’ section of the prestigious Design Effectiveness Awards by the Design Business Association; being the first ever fresh meat producer to be awarded CoolBrands status, joining iconic brands such as Apple, Virgin Atlantic and Bollinger; and winning the Food and Farming Industry’s 'Food Chain Marketing Award’.

This latest award from the Chartered Institute of Marketing recognises the consistent commitment Gressingham has demonstrated to succeed across all aspects of its business, from its innovative NPD, to strategic marketing and above-the-line activity.

John Giles, the Chairman of the FDA Group of the CIM said: “We give this award on an annual basis to a company or organisation who we believe has excelled in marketing. Past winners have included the likes of Samworth Brothers, Green & Blacks, the Pink Lady apple organisation, the Fair Trade Foundation, Long Clawson Dairy and Dorset Cereals.

“Gressingham won our award for exceeding in all the criteria we set – this includes success in both retail and foodservice markets, the development of a strong supply chain, a high degree of innovation, a strong sense of corporate social responsibility, a proven track record of achievement over time and the development of a well-recognised brand. They are deserved winners.”

On receiving the award William Buchanan, managing director of Gressingham Foods said: “We are delighted and very proud to receive this prestigious award from the CIM. We have worked hard to develop a brand that consumers trust and that helps grow the duck category as a whole in the face of huge competition from much larger categories.

“Our aim is to encourage more people to cook with duck and more restaurants to add it to their menu.

“So many people love the taste of duck but lack the confidence to cook with it. We think it makes a meal far more memorable and have invested heavily in our recipe development, ‘how-to’ videos, NPD, advertising and digital marketing to encourage more people to cook with this remarkable meat. This award from the Chartered Institute of Marketing is hugely gratifying.”