The Black Farmer Wins Prime Minister’s Points Of Light Award
Devon farmer Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones has won the Prime Minister's Points Of Light Award for his campaign to raise awareness about Black History Month. Mr Jones, also known as "The Black Farmer", won the Points of Light award for encouraging retailers to feature images and stories of people of colour. The images were portrayed on packs of special jerk-flavoured sausages and on Mr Jones' website to celebrate Black History Month.
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones said: "In the light of #BlackLivesMatter, I felt compelled to create greater awareness around Black History Month, which for too long has been overlooked".
"I am delighted by the response and support of the UK's major food retailers and to receive this Points of Light Award is an added and much-appreciated bonus."
Mr Jones also recognises the black community's contribution to Britain on his website and through talks at universities and businesses. Sales from his products help support the Black Cultural Archives and the Mary Seacole Trust.
The prime minister's UK Daily Points of Light award was launched in April 2014 to recognise outstanding individuals making a difference where they live. In his citation, the Prime Minister said:
"You have galvanised the nation's food retailers to recognise the exceptional black men and women whose contribution to our nation should be celebrated all year round.
"As our nation marks Black History Month, I am delighted to recognise all that you have achieved by naming you as the UK's 1,502nd Point of Light."
Each day, someone is selected to receive the award to celebrate their remarkable achievements.
The list of winners includes hundreds of volunteers who have been recognised for how they have served their communities through the coronavirus pandemic.
About Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones is, in his own words, ‘a poor boy, done good’. He was born in Frankfield, Clarendon, Jamaica and then, after his parents came to the UK in the 50s, was raised in inner city Birmingham.
Having proved a difficult school student with unacknowledged dyslexia, he left school without achieving any qualifications. For a number of years Wilfred worked as a chef before pursuing a career in television. Unqualified but ambitious and persistent, he talked his way into working in television, rising to become a producer/director for the BBC. He is credited with bringing many of the top UK celebrity chefs to the small screen including Gordon Ramsay, Antony Worrall-Thompson, Brian Turner and James Martin.
In 1994 he founded a food and drink marketing agency in London which went on to run successful marketing campaigns for Lloyd Grossman sauces, Kettle Chips, Plymouth Gin, Cobra Beer and other challenger brands.
Wilfred subsequently fulfilled a lifelong ambition and bought a small farm in Devon in 2000. This inspired him to develop and launch one of the most successful food brands in recent times in the UK – The Black Farmer - with his own range of gluten free sausages, bacon, chicken, burgers, meatballs, cheese and eggs available in supermarkets across the UK.
In 2005 he launched a rural scholarship scheme through which young people from inner city communities were given the opportunity to experience what it is really like to live and work in the rural community. A Channel 4 documentary filming the progress of the youngsters “Young Black Farmers” has been widely aired to much acclaim.
Wilfred is a classic entrepreneur and has the “anything is possible” attitude to everything he approaches. He is a business mentor and regularly gives motivational talks to young entrepreneurs.
He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Marketing by Plymouth University in Devon, UK in 2012 and the Diversity UK Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017 his championship of inclusive entrepreneurship, particularly in rural communities.
