Northamptonshire social enterprise No Fuss Meals for Busy Parents CIC named one of the Nation’s Favourite Businesses for 2026

No Fuss Meals for Busy Parents CIC, which runs The Countryside Kitchen at Orchard Farm in Yelvertoft, Northamptonshire, has been named as one of the Nation’s Favourite Businesses by the Small Business Saturday campaign, as it kicks off its annual call to champion and support the nation’s favourite small businesses.

No Fuss Meals for Busy Parents CIC, a not-for-profit social enterprise using food, farming and practical cookery to help children, families and community groups build knowledge, confidence and connection, was founded by Milly Fyfe MBE in 2023.

Following a nationwide search, the Northamptonshire organisation has been selected as part of this year’s Nation’s Favourite Business line-up, in a shake up from the campaign’s longstanding SmallBiz100.

The Nation’s Favourite Businesses campaign will showcase each business as part of the official countdown to Small Business Saturday on 5 December - a grassroots non-commercial campaign, originally founded by American Express in the U.S. in 2010, and the principal supporter in the UK, aimed at celebrating and uplifting independent firms by encouraging the public to support and spend with small businesses.

Milly Fyfe MBE, founder of No Fuss Meals for Busy Parents CIC and The Countryside Kitchen,

said: “We’re delighted to be recognised as one of the Nation’s Favourite Businesses. Small

businesses can have an impact far beyond the products or services they sell, and that is very

much at the heart of what we do. In the first year since opening The Countryside Kitchen,

more than 1,000 people have taken part in our fully funded food and farming workshops,

helping children and adults understand where food comes from, develop practical skills and

feel more connected to the countryside. Trading income from our honesty shop supports this

educational work, while also giving us a platform to champion our own farm produce and

products from other farming businesses. Supporting a small business can create a real ripple

effect across a community, and we are incredibly proud to be part of that.”

“Small businesses have always been, and will continue to be, among the nation’s favourite

businesses. Whether on our high streets, online or embedded in local communities, they play a

vital role in the places we live and in the strength of our economy,” said Michelle Ovens CBE,

Director of Small Business Saturday UK.

“This year’s Nation Favourite Businesses are a true representation of the UK’s most-loved

small businesses. From independent, family run cafés and local restaurants, to makers,

services and traders, they showcase the incredible diversity of the UK’s small business

community. We know how important small businesses are and the challenges they face, so as

we kick off this year’s Small Business Saturday campaign, we’re urging the public to get behind

them during the most critical trading quarter of the year.”

Dan Edelman, General Manager, UK Merchant Services at American Express, said: “Small

businesses bring energy, innovation and character to our high streets and local economies.

That’s why American Express is proud to have founded Small Business Saturday and why we

continue to back small businesses to help them thrive. This year’s Nation’s Favourite

Businesses are a brilliant showcase of the UK’s entrepreneurial spirit, and we’re delighted to

be providing grant funding that will help two of these inspiring businesses invest in their next

chapter of growth.”

Small Business Saturday is the UK’s most successful small business campaign. Since

launching in the UK in 2013, it has engaged millions of people and seen billions of pounds

spent with small businesses across the UK on Small Business Saturday, with an impact that

lasts all year round.

Last year, the campaign saw extensive media coverage, as well as public support from the

Royal Family, the Prime Minister and Chancellor, leader of the opposition, The Mayor of

London, and over 90% of the nation’s local councils.

To learn more about Small Business Saturday’s Nation’s Favourite Businesses, visit:

https://smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com/.