THE owners of a County Durham dairy farm are celebrating after being awarded a prestigious Royal honour.

Acorn Dairy has won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for sustainable development, thanks to its commitment to low-carbon, organic practices on its farm in Archdeacon Newton, near Darlington and farming collaborations in North Yorkshire.

The family business, which is run by directors Caroline Bell and her brother Graham Tweddle, has been farming since 1928 and converted to organic status in 1998 before launching deliveries two years later. Now, the firm delivers to thousands of households through its own fleet of drivers and a nationwide network of distributors.

Caroline said: “We are delighted to have won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise, especially in a field that is so close to our hearts.

“Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do.”