A Kent farm shop has been named the UK’s second best – beaten only by Jeremy Clarkson.
Macknade Food Hall in Faversham came just behind the TV star’s Diddly Squat store in a list of the country’s top 10.
Macknade Food Hall in Faversham has been ranked as the UK’s second best
The rankings were compiled by Hello Fresh and are based on Tripadvisor ratings, price ranges and social media.
Clarkson’s business, which features on his popular Amazon Prime show, scored 81 out of 100. Macknade was closed behind with 79.
Bosses at the store say it’s “fantastic” to receive the accolade.
The research found the Kent entry has an average Tripadvisor rating of 4.3 out of five and a Google rating of 4.5 out of five.
CEO Stefano Cuomo, 46, told KentOnline: “We’re here as a platform that introduces people to new products, but sort of shouts about Kent and everything local.
CEO of Macknade, Stefano Cuomo
“So it’s fantastic and really, really important to us.
“We’ll have to find out what we need to do to get above Jeremy!
“But what can I say? Clarkson’s farm has engaged a massive audience with regards to local produce, British agriculture, independent retail sector.
“I’m grateful for the fact that he’s used his reach to introduce more people to our sector.
“We’ll keep on pushing on hard to try and try and get that 100 points and see what we can do to improve.”
Jeremy Clarkson, pictured with Kaleb Cooper, came top of the national list with Diddly Squat Farm. Picture: Prime Video.
Macknade, in Selling Road, boasts a deli, butchers and a cafe.
The business is family-run and was started by Mr Cuomo’s parents in the 1970s.
It also runs an outdoor food market through the summer months, with pop-up stalls and live music.
This year, the farm shop applied for a licence to allow them to serve guests alcohol, without them needing to order food too.
Bosses hoped that a new, restriction-free licence would offer the capacity to host such events while also allowing the firm to remain focused on its grocery and hospitality core.