Meet the Rural Oscars finalists for the East of England

The East of England's finalists in the 2016 Countryside Alliance Awards (aka the Rural Oscars) have been announced, with businesses from across the region going head to head for a regional title and a shot at national glory.

The Awards are the Countryside Alliance's annual celebration of rural produce, skills, enterprise and heritage through our small hard-working businesses. They are now in their twelfth year and have become the definitive rural business award to win. This year we received over 7,500 nominations, meaning these finalists truly are the best of the best. The Awards are public-nomination led across five categories:

• Local Food & Drink


• Village Shop/ Post Office


• Tourism Enterprise


• Farm Enterprise


• Butcher

• Foxholes Farm Shop, Hertford, Hertfordshire www.foxholesfarm.com


• Doddington Farm Shop, Doddington, Lincolnshire www.doddingtonhall.com/eating-and-shopping/shopping/farm-shop/


• Ben's Restaurant, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk www.bensrestaurant.co.uk


• Maisebrooke Farm, Shipmeadow, Beccles, Suffolk http://maisebrookefarm.weebly.com/maisebrooke-farm-shop.html

• Perry Stores, Perry, Cambridgeshire


• Sarratt Post Office Stores, The Green, Sarratt, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire www.sarrattvillage.org/


• Leadenham PO & Teahouse, 10 Main Road, Leadenham, Lincolnshire http://leadenhamteahouse.co.uk/


• The Udder Room and Post Office, Forelock and Load, Church Road, Barrow, Suffolk

• Hare Street Farm Barns, Bury Grange Farm, Ardeley, Hertfordshire www.harestreetholidays.co.uk


• Dairy Barns Hickling Bed & Breakfast, Hickling, Norwich, Norfolk www.dairybarns.co.uk/


• Dents of Hilgay, Hilgay, Norfolk www.dentsfarmhilgay.co.uk/


• Long Melford Heritage Centre, Village Hall, Long Melford, Suffolk www.longmelford.co.uk/Tourist%20Attractions/

• Corkers Crisps, Mount Pleasant Farm, Pymoor, Cambridgeshire www.corkerscrisps.co.uk


• Abbey Farm, Flitcham, King's Lynn, Norfolk www.abbeyfarm.co.uk


• Green Pastures Farm Shop and Garden Centre, Bergh Apton, Norwich, Norfolk www.greenpasturesnursery.co.uk/


• Forelock and Load, Barrow, Suffolk www.forelockandload.com/

• Lavenham Butchers, Lavenham, Suffolk www.lavenhambutchers.com


• C Humphreys & Sons, Fairstead, Essex


• RJ Hirst Butchers, Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire www.rjhirstfamilybutchers.co.uk/


• DJ Barnard Meats, Shropham, Norfolk http://djbarnardmeats.co.uk/

• Each business will receive a visit from judges.


• The regions are: North, Midlands, East, South East, South West, Wales


• Regional winners will be announced in February and will advance to the national finals.


• The Parliamentary reception will be held on Wednesday 22^nd March 2017


• Follow the Awards on Twitter @CAAwards and use the hashtag #RuralOscars