Courteenhall Estate wins King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development

We are very proud to share that Courteenhall Estate has been awarded the King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development, one of the most prestigious honours in the UK. Granted by His Majesty the King on the advice of the Prime Minister, the award recognises outstanding achievement in sustainability. For Courteenhall, it reflects a long-term philosophy grounded in custodianship, which has guided the estate for generations.

Dr Johnny Wake, Managing Partner of Courteenhall, said: “The land has been managed in the family for over 350 years. We are only its custodians. Our job is to leave it in a better place for the next generations. This isn’t just any award to us, it carries huge credibility and exclusivity. We didn’t remotely take for granted that we’d get it, and it means the world to me that we did.”

Regenerative farming at the core

Farming has long been central to Courteenhall. Today, we manage approximately 2,000 acres of arable land and Pasture for Life-certified livestock, with regenerative practices embedded throughout. These include reduced tillage, which limits damaging disturbance to the ground and protects soil structure; diversified crop rotations that restore nutrients naturally; and cover cropping, where plants are grown between harvests to protect and enrich the soil. We have set a target to be net zero by 2030, supported by carbon modelling and renewable energy development on the land. A sustained programme of woodland expansion, hedgerow restoration, and species-rich grassland creation is helping to draw down and store carbon from the atmosphere.

Our approach shows that responsible land stewardship and long-term financial resilience can be delivered together.

Connecting community with food and nature

Sustainability at Courteenhall extends beyond the farm.

New Leaf Learning, a charity founded, based at, and supported by the estate, provides nature-based, connection-focused programmes for primary school children who are struggling to engage with education. It also works with teachers and parents, offering training and support.

The estate is also a partner in the West Northamptonshire Good Food Plan, a county-wide initiative focused on building a more sustainable, healthy, and connected food system.

The Knot – a locally produced food destination

Our next major project, The Knot, a farm shop and restaurant opening in 2027, will put that ambition into practice, creating a new destination for locally produced food and strengthening links between Courteenhall and its surrounding communities.

Dr Wake said: “We are not remotely the finished article and still have huge amounts of work to do. We want to really engage our local community with locally produced healthy food and lifestyles. This award helps us demonstrate to the public that we are credible and serious.”

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