Mark Gorton has been named the 2026 winner of the Timothy Colman Prize, the top annual award made by the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association (RNAA).

He is founder and managing director of Traditional Norfolk Poultry (TNP), based in Shropham near Attleborough - the UK’s leading producer of free-range and organic chickens and turkeys.

The firm, which began with just 12 Christmas turkeys, now operates across East Anglia and supplies millions of birds per year to high street retailers as well as some of the UK’s most prestigious restaurants.

The company has grown with a pioneering spirit - most recently evident through hosting a "momentous" first UK trial of a vaccine aiming to halt the annual devastation of bird flu outbreaks.

Norfolk Black chickens, a breed developed by Traditional Norfolk Poultry (Image: Newsquest)

TNP has even developed its own breed, the Norfolk Black chicken - which was served at Windsor Castle in September during a glittering state banquet for King Charles and US president Donald Trump.

Mark Gorton said it was “such an honour” to receive the award, adding: “It is going back to the beginning, when my ambition was to be a farmer. I feel as though I have achieved that goal.”

Although not from a farming family, Mr Gorton pursued his agricultural ambitions from a young age in his parents’ garden in Costessey, where he grew up.

“I tried various things, growing a few vegetables and selling them in Norwich, growing a few different animals," he said. "But it wasn’t until I grew a few turkeys that I found something that I enjoyed and made me a little bit of money."

Mr Gorton started his business with his friend David Garner in 1988, aiming to capitalise on rising demand for free-range poultry.

As the company grew, it pioneered new poultry growing techniques and invested in a state-of-the-art processing facility in the heart of Breckland.

"All the way along we have been trailblazing, pioneering new things," said Mr Gorton. "We designed and developed mobile poultry houses, which you will now see being used across the industry everywhere.

"I sit on the RSPCA standards committee, and the Red Tractor standards committee and I have been instrumental in helping those standards develop, which are now widely accepted across the industry.

"We are always trying something new. We developed our Norfolk Black chicken, which has been enjoyed by the King.

"Another really exciting thing is working with the John Innes Centre to developed a new [feed] crop as a replacement for soya, to try and reduce our carbon footprint.

"But probably the most exciting thing is the avian influenza vaccination trial.

"Over the years, we have suffered in our business, alongside lots of other business, losing hundreds of thousands of chickens and turkeys to this disease. After years of lobbying and discussion we are now running that vaccine trial on our farms here in Norfolk.

"Only last week, the turkeys were six weeks old and were due for their secondary vaccination and we had 25 people from Defra, APHA (Animal & Plant Health Agency), vets and our business all on site vaccinating those turkeys.

"We should not underestimate how big and important this is. The world is watching this trial. If it is successful, it could be the start of a vaccination roll-out which can hopefully put avian influenza into the history books."

Mark Gorton, founder and managing director of Traditional Norfolk Poultry (Image: TNP)

RNAA chief executive Mark Nicholas said: "Mark Gorton has made a considerable contribution to the development of the industry and local economic strategy. He is a member of the NFU Poultry Board and also an RSPCA Assured and Red Tractor marque adviser, and a member of the Norfolk Business Board.

"Not from a farming family, Mark has always continued to champion the interests of young people aspiring to work in the poultry sector.

"So it is for his outstanding contribution in so many areas, and his leadership of the poultry industry that Mark is awarded the Timothy Colman Prize."

After the award was announced at the RNAA annual meeting, guest speaker and National Farmers' Union (NFU) president Tom Bradshaw praised Mr Gorton's industry influence.

"You genuinely deserve the recognition you have had," he said.

"You have been through a really tough period with avian influenza, and assuming this trial goes successfully, it is something the whole industry, not necessarily just the UK industry, will be able to benefit from, so it really is an important piece of work."

© Eastern Daily Press