• Molson Coors Beverage Company has over two centuries of brewing heritage

• Portfolio of iconic brands includes Carling – the UK's best-selling lager

Molson Coors Beverage Company has celebrated the 15-year anniversary of its Growers Group by awarding its 2023 Grower of the Year Award to third generation Shropshire farmer, Phil Preece.

Molson Coors and the Growers Group farmers share advice, data, and insight to help growers take steps to improve the sustainability of their farming practices while guaranteeing a regular supply of top-quality malting barley.

The Grower of the Year award recognises Phil for excelling at consistently producing high-quality British malting barley, for his proactive engagement as a member of the Molson Coors Growers Group and for adopting more sustainable farming practices.

Growers like Phil are implementing measures to try and increase biodiversity on farm using cover crops, hedgerows, and field margining to provide spaces for local wildlife to thrive while improving soil health, alongside seeking to enhance water pollution preventions by integrating biofilters, settlement ponds and precision watering techniques.

Phil Preece and his family operate a 280-hectare all-arable farming business in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, which during 2022 produced over 406 tonnes of malting barley exclusively for Molson Coors' brewing operations – adding to the 47,000 tonnes supplied annually by members of the Growers Group.

Phil is an original member of the group which was established in 2008. Since then, it has grown to 148 farmers across the UK. The size of the network enables Molson Coors to manage supply risk of weather and regional variations by having growers spread across the main growing regions of England.

The Growers Group is set up in a way to bring benefits to all stakeholders. The growers benefit from flexible contract options and certainty of the market secured by signing three-year deals at a time with Molson Coors to supply its malting barley, as well as a community to share knowledge and insight.

Members of the group get help from experts on everything from crop rotation and farm investment planning to solutions for addressing environmental impacts and improving the resilience of their business.

Phil Preece said:

"Winning this award is a special achievement for all of us at the farm. The valued relationship we've built with Molson Coors and the tools, information and support we've received through the Growers Group and our Frontier Agronomist David Allison, has been essential in helping us deal with the recent economic challenges faced by our industry."

Kristy Smith, Category Lead for Brewing Materials at Molson Coors Beverage Company, said:

"Phil has been a consistent and valued grower of great quality malting barley since the very beginning of the group, now celebrating its 15-year anniversary. He not only delivers good quality barley year on year, but he is an active and valued member of the group, he thoroughly deserves to take home the Grower of the Year Award.

"We're proud of the success of our Growers Group and the unique relationships we have with our farmers and trusted partners like Phil – and we look forward to growing and building on the success of the group."