Murray Puddicombe receives Lifetime Achievement honours
By Laura Lennie, News Staff
Murray Puddicombe was recently honoured for making significant and lasting contributions to Hamilton’s tourism industry.
The Puddicombe Estate Farms and Winery owner picked up the Lifetime Achievement award at the 14th Tourism Hamilton Awards of Excellence Gala last Tuesday at the Hamilton Convention Centre.
“It was definitely unexpected,” he said. “When you’re doing what you like to do, you don’t ever expect to get any accolades for it. It is nice that they acknowledge agriculture…it is bringing to the forefront the fact that agriculture was the basis of this whole area at one time.”
The tourism board puts forward names for the award.
The executive rates and scores individuals on vision and leadership, industry impact, inspiration and motivation and industry contribution.
An award recipient’s contributions are to have brought a benefit to the social, economic, natural or cultural environment.
“Murray Puddicombe has undoubtedly made lasting and outstanding contributions in all of those areas,” said Tourism Hamilton awards committee member Debbie Spence “He has demonstrated leadership, contributed to the creation of positive image and increased awareness of Hamilton’s tourism industry, as well as maintained and established a strong legacy while gaining the respect of Tourism Hamilton partners and beyond.”
Murray’s legacy began in 1975, when he and his brother, William, bought the family estate from their father, John Lewis Puddicombe and formed J.B. Puddicombe and Sons Limited.
The family started out as cattle farmers in 1797, before becoming fruit farmers in the early 1900s.
John Lewis was the generation to plant the estate’s first vineyard in 1940.
“The farm was passed down through the women, so the family name has changed three times,” Murray said. “It was originally Lewis, then Henry then Puddicombe. I’m the seventh generation.”
Murray purchased Williams’ estate shares in 1985.
To keep up with changing times, Murray later formed a partnership with Stoney Ridge Winery.
He brought half of the operation to the estate’s 1468 Hwy. 8 location in 1989.
“The grape industry, at that time, was just going right down the tubes – that was right around the free trade time – so when I bought half of Stoney Ridge and moved it down here, everybody thought I was nuts,” Murray laughed. “Three years later, all of a sudden, everybody’s turned around and everybody starts to jump on board and do the same thing. We had a real good run of it; we had an excellent product, it’s just at that time, there were differences of opinion and the marriage just didn’t work.”
Puddicombe Estate Farms and Winery opened its doors in 2000.
The 360-acre farm also grew to include a general store, bake shop, café and later an agricultural train and pick your own operation.
The winery boasts more than 25 award-winning wines in national and international competitions.
Puddicombe has garnered numerous accolades, including the Hamilton Business of the Year Award, Stoney Creek Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Business Achievement Award and Tourism Hamilton Awards of Excellence.
“Because of economic conditions and the fact that people aren’t spending as much of their take-home income on food anymore…primary agriculture has had to diversify and go into the value added, whether it be through tourism or starting a fruit market or bake store, etc.,” Murray said. “We feel that we’re sitting right on an edge that we feel we’re going to break through.
“We’ve noticed over the past couple of years that there’s more people coming out (to Puddicombe) and it’s a culmination of everything – it’s freshness, it’s what we’ve done, what we’re offering for entertainment – and the fact that people are doing more day trips then they are longer trips because of higher gas prices.”
Murray said Puddicombe also tries to educate children about where their food comes from.
“It’s about getting them to appreciate and understand the process,” he said. “Food doesn’t just appear at the supermarket. It comes from somewhere, it’s grown.”
Buying food locally not only means fresher produce, but also is essential to the community, he added.
“We’ll spend hundreds of dollars on an event ticket, like a concert and for three hours of entertainment. That same money could be spent on a week’s worth of groceries; yet, when we go into a grocery store and we’re looking at the produce, we’re pinching pennies,” Murray said.
“Local stuff may be a little bit more money than the imported stuff – and people will buy that rather than they’ll buy us – and eventually that erodes away at the local economy.
While the store is employing local people, Puddicombe points out the bulk of your money is going outside the country.
Murray said there are fewer and fewer growers in the Peninsula.
His hope for Puddicombe would be to see it continue to evolve and survive and to see the winery grow and education aspect continue.
“We just have to be able to adapt to the climate that’s out there and supply a product to the public that they want, at a price they want and at a price that we can survive.”
Murray Puddicombe receives Lifetime Achievement honours
By Laura Lennie, News Staff
Murray Puddicombe was recently honoured for making significant and lasting contributions to Hamilton’s tourism industry.
The Puddicombe Estate Farms and Winery owner picked up the Lifetime Achievement award at the 14th Tourism Hamilton Awards of Excellence Gala last Tuesday at the Hamilton Convention Centre.
“It was definitely unexpected,” he said. “When you’re doing what you like to do, you don’t ever expect to get any accolades for it. It is nice that they acknowledge agriculture…it is bringing to the forefront the fact that agriculture was the basis of this whole area at one time.”
The tourism board puts forward names for the award.
The executive rates and scores individuals on vision and leadership, industry impact, inspiration and motivation and industry contribution.
An award recipient’s contributions are to have brought a benefit to the social, economic, natural or cultural environment.
“Murray Puddicombe has undoubtedly made lasting and outstanding contributions in all of those areas,” said Tourism Hamilton awards committee member Debbie Spence “He has demonstrated leadership, contributed to the creation of positive image and increased awareness of Hamilton’s tourism industry, as well as maintained and established a strong legacy while gaining the respect of Tourism Hamilton partners and beyond.”
Murray’s legacy began in 1975, when he and his brother, William, bought the family estate from their father, John Lewis Puddicombe and formed J.B. Puddicombe and Sons Limited.
The family started out as cattle farmers in 1797, before becoming fruit farmers in the early 1900s.
John Lewis was the generation to plant the estate’s first vineyard in 1940.
“The farm was passed down through the women, so the family name has changed three times,” Murray said. “It was originally Lewis, then Henry then Puddicombe. I’m the seventh generation.”
Murray purchased Williams’ estate shares in 1985.
To keep up with changing times, Murray later formed a partnership with Stoney Ridge Winery.
He brought half of the operation to the estate’s 1468 Hwy. 8 location in 1989.
“The grape industry, at that time, was just going right down the tubes – that was right around the free trade time – so when I bought half of Stoney Ridge and moved it down here, everybody thought I was nuts,” Murray laughed. “Three years later, all of a sudden, everybody’s turned around and everybody starts to jump on board and do the same thing. We had a real good run of it; we had an excellent product, it’s just at that time, there were differences of opinion and the marriage just didn’t work.”
Puddicombe Estate Farms and Winery opened its doors in 2000.
The 360-acre farm also grew to include a general store, bake shop, café and later an agricultural train and pick your own operation.
The winery boasts more than 25 award-winning wines in national and international competitions.
Puddicombe has garnered numerous accolades, including the Hamilton Business of the Year Award, Stoney Creek Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Business Achievement Award and Tourism Hamilton Awards of Excellence.
“Because of economic conditions and the fact that people aren’t spending as much of their take-home income on food anymore…primary agriculture has had to diversify and go into the value added, whether it be through tourism or starting a fruit market or bake store, etc.,” Murray said. “We feel that we’re sitting right on an edge that we feel we’re going to break through.
“We’ve noticed over the past couple of years that there’s more people coming out (to Puddicombe) and it’s a culmination of everything – it’s freshness, it’s what we’ve done, what we’re offering for entertainment – and the fact that people are doing more day trips then they are longer trips because of higher gas prices.”
Murray said Puddicombe also tries to educate children about where their food comes from.
“It’s about getting them to appreciate and understand the process,” he said. “Food doesn’t just appear at the supermarket. It comes from somewhere, it’s grown.”
Buying food locally not only means fresher produce, but also is essential to the community, he added.
“We’ll spend hundreds of dollars on an event ticket, like a concert and for three hours of entertainment. That same money could be spent on a week’s worth of groceries; yet, when we go into a grocery store and we’re looking at the produce, we’re pinching pennies,” Murray said.
“Local stuff may be a little bit more money than the imported stuff – and people will buy that rather than they’ll buy us – and eventually that erodes away at the local economy.
While the store is employing local people, Puddicombe points out the bulk of your money is going outside the country.
Murray said there are fewer and fewer growers in the Peninsula.
His hope for Puddicombe would be to see it continue to evolve and survive and to see the winery grow and education aspect continue.
“We just have to be able to adapt to the climate that’s out there and supply a product to the public that they want, at a price they want and at a price that we can survive.”
Murray Puddicombe receives Lifetime Achievement honours
By Laura Lennie, News Staff
Murray Puddicombe was recently honoured for making significant and lasting contributions to Hamilton’s tourism industry.
The Puddicombe Estate Farms and Winery owner picked up the Lifetime Achievement award at the 14th Tourism Hamilton Awards of Excellence Gala last Tuesday at the Hamilton Convention Centre.
“It was definitely unexpected,” he said. “When you’re doing what you like to do, you don’t ever expect to get any accolades for it. It is nice that they acknowledge agriculture…it is bringing to the forefront the fact that agriculture was the basis of this whole area at one time.”
The tourism board puts forward names for the award.
The executive rates and scores individuals on vision and leadership, industry impact, inspiration and motivation and industry contribution.
An award recipient’s contributions are to have brought a benefit to the social, economic, natural or cultural environment.
“Murray Puddicombe has undoubtedly made lasting and outstanding contributions in all of those areas,” said Tourism Hamilton awards committee member Debbie Spence “He has demonstrated leadership, contributed to the creation of positive image and increased awareness of Hamilton’s tourism industry, as well as maintained and established a strong legacy while gaining the respect of Tourism Hamilton partners and beyond.”
Murray’s legacy began in 1975, when he and his brother, William, bought the family estate from their father, John Lewis Puddicombe and formed J.B. Puddicombe and Sons Limited.
The family started out as cattle farmers in 1797, before becoming fruit farmers in the early 1900s.
John Lewis was the generation to plant the estate’s first vineyard in 1940.
“The farm was passed down through the women, so the family name has changed three times,” Murray said. “It was originally Lewis, then Henry then Puddicombe. I’m the seventh generation.”
Murray purchased Williams’ estate shares in 1985.
To keep up with changing times, Murray later formed a partnership with Stoney Ridge Winery.
He brought half of the operation to the estate’s 1468 Hwy. 8 location in 1989.
“The grape industry, at that time, was just going right down the tubes – that was right around the free trade time – so when I bought half of Stoney Ridge and moved it down here, everybody thought I was nuts,” Murray laughed. “Three years later, all of a sudden, everybody’s turned around and everybody starts to jump on board and do the same thing. We had a real good run of it; we had an excellent product, it’s just at that time, there were differences of opinion and the marriage just didn’t work.”
Puddicombe Estate Farms and Winery opened its doors in 2000.
The 360-acre farm also grew to include a general store, bake shop, café and later an agricultural train and pick your own operation.
The winery boasts more than 25 award-winning wines in national and international competitions.
Puddicombe has garnered numerous accolades, including the Hamilton Business of the Year Award, Stoney Creek Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Business Achievement Award and Tourism Hamilton Awards of Excellence.
“Because of economic conditions and the fact that people aren’t spending as much of their take-home income on food anymore…primary agriculture has had to diversify and go into the value added, whether it be through tourism or starting a fruit market or bake store, etc.,” Murray said. “We feel that we’re sitting right on an edge that we feel we’re going to break through.
“We’ve noticed over the past couple of years that there’s more people coming out (to Puddicombe) and it’s a culmination of everything – it’s freshness, it’s what we’ve done, what we’re offering for entertainment – and the fact that people are doing more day trips then they are longer trips because of higher gas prices.”
Murray said Puddicombe also tries to educate children about where their food comes from.
“It’s about getting them to appreciate and understand the process,” he said. “Food doesn’t just appear at the supermarket. It comes from somewhere, it’s grown.”
Buying food locally not only means fresher produce, but also is essential to the community, he added.
“We’ll spend hundreds of dollars on an event ticket, like a concert and for three hours of entertainment. That same money could be spent on a week’s worth of groceries; yet, when we go into a grocery store and we’re looking at the produce, we’re pinching pennies,” Murray said.
“Local stuff may be a little bit more money than the imported stuff – and people will buy that rather than they’ll buy us – and eventually that erodes away at the local economy.
While the store is employing local people, Puddicombe points out the bulk of your money is going outside the country.
Murray said there are fewer and fewer growers in the Peninsula.
His hope for Puddicombe would be to see it continue to evolve and survive and to see the winery grow and education aspect continue.
“We just have to be able to adapt to the climate that’s out there and supply a product to the public that they want, at a price they want and at a price that we can survive.”