We’re pleased to share that our Director, Clare Otridge, has been shortlisted for Agriculture’s Woman of the Year at the 2026 British Farming Awards, sponsored by NFU Mutual.
Clare is one of eight women on this year’s shortlist, alongside Sarah Felstead (Cheshire), Joanna Hilditch (North Herefordshire), Clare Price (Warwickshire), Helen Reeve (Norfolk), Hannah Rose (Monmouthshire), Rebecca Tonks (Cornwall), and Clare Wise (Co Durham), all of whom have made their own mark on UK agriculture this year. The award, run by Farmers Guardian, recognises a woman making a significant and inspiring impact on the industry through innovation, leadership, education, or advocacy. Winners will be announced at the ceremony on Thursday 15 October 2026 at The Vox, NEC Birmingham.
A bit about Clare’s work
Clare comes from a fenland arable farming family going back over seven generations, and that background has quietly shaped the direction of her career in recent years. After some years outside agriculture in consultancy, the charity sector, and banking, she returned to the family research business, drawn back by an interest in making sure farmers’ views are properly heard and acted on.
As Director at Grounded Research, the agricultural and consumer market research agency she runs with her co-directors, Clare has worked on studies across crop protection, food consumer behaviour, and the wider agri-food supply chain, drawing on a postgraduate qualification in behavioural science along the way.
She’s also behind Five Bar Gate, Grounded Research’s farmer research community, set up after noticing that farmers were often asked for their opinions but rarely told what happened next, paid for their time or engaged in the research process. This was her attempt to do things a bit differently, building a genuinely engaged community rather than just a list of contacts, and making sure farmers see the impact of the insight they help create.
Alongside this, Clare volunteers as operational lead for the Women in Food and Farming (WiFF) network, now around 2,000 members strong, and as a Trustee at Sacrewell Farm (the William Scott Abbott Trust). She was also named MRS Sustainability Changemaker of the Year 2026 and MRS Research Hero 2025, and was a finalist at the Farmers Weekly Women in Agriculture Awards 2025.
From Clare
“It’s a lovely surprise to be on this shortlist alongside so many women doing brilliant things across the industry. Any recognition like this really belongs to the whole team at Grounded Research and to the farmers who give their time to Five Bar Gate and the amazing team of ladies behind WiFF. Without them, none of this work would mean very much.”
What’s next
The winner will be announced at the ceremony on Thursday 15 October 2026 at The Vox, NEC Birmingham. We’ll share how to support Clare’s nomination once details are confirmed, and either way, it’s a nice moment to celebrate.