For only the third time in seven decades, a north Norfolk farmer has completed the double in his club's malting barley championship.

The supreme title in Holt & District Farmers’ Club’s annual contest was won by Andrew Ross, of Cannister Hall Farm at Houghton St Giles, near Fakenham, with a sample of Laureate spring barley.

He also claimed the club's winter barley trophy, with a sample of Flagon variety.

In all, 66 barley samples were judged by Rebecca Gee, grain procurement director of the Great Ryburgh-based Crisp Malting Group, who said it had been one of the most challenging years for winter-sown malting barley.

Mr Ross, who is a member of the National Farmers' Union's sugar board but is standing down after 11 years in March, had planted his winning barley crop in late September.

A combination of above-average rainfall in the following six months had proved especially challenging but, to his delight, his spring variety Laureate had produced a superb sample
thanks to timely sunshine in late June and July.

“I started drilling the field on March 20 but had to go very slowly because the ground was so
wet and it took several days,” he added.

Previous winners who had completed the "clean sweep" were Melton Harrold, of GW Harrold, in 2016 with the spring variety Husky, and the winter Maris Otter. The following year, 2017, William Mack of Hempstead Hall triumphed with the spring variety Propino, and Venture in the winter section.

Chairman Martin Jensen welcomed about 40 members to the club’s 74th annual meeting. He said he was pleased that the club, founded in 1948, had been able to return to its "spiritual home" at the Feathers in Holt, after four years at the town’s rugby club.

Chris Borrett, of grain merchants Adams & Howling, thanked John Cragg, the club’s president Richard Brooks and Bill van Poortvliet, for collecting the samples for the barley competition.