The finalists for the North of England in the 2016 Countryside Alliance Awards (aka the Rural Oscars) have been announced, with businesses going head to head for a 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
The finalists in the 2016 Rural Oscars in the North are:
Local food/ drink category
- Acorn Dairy, Garthorne Farm , Archdeacon Newton, Darlington, Co Durham http://acorndairy.co.uk/
- Snoutwood Trotters, Laburnum Farm, Great Sankey, Warrington, Cheshire http://snoutwoodtrotters.co.uk/
- Northumberland Honey Company, Haltwhistle, Northumberland www.northumberlandhoney.co.uk/
- Lawns Farm Shop & Morthen Milk, York Lane, Morthen, Rotherham, South Yorkshire http://morthenbutchers.com/
Village shop / Post Office category
- Blanchland Post Office, Blanchland, Co Durham
- Braithwaite General Store, Braithwaite, Cumbria www.braithwaitegeneralstore.co.uk/
- Patterdale General Store, Patterdale, Penrith, Cumbria www.patterdalevillagestore.co.uk/
- Spellows Village Shop & Post Office, Marton cum Grafton, North Yorkshire www.marton-cum-grafton.org/shop.htm
- Flask End & Bradfield Post Office, Low Bradfield, Sheffield, South Yorkshire www.flaskend.co.uk/
Farm enterprise category
- Crabtree Farm, Lupton, Kirkby Lonsdale, Carnforth, Lancashire www.crabtreeclayshoot.co.uk/
- Clervaux Trust Limited, Croft-on-Tees, North Yorkshire www.clervaux.org.uk/
- Kimmerston Riding Centre, Kimmerston Farm, Wooler, Northumberland www.kimmerston.com/
- Incredible Farm, Walsden, Todmorden, West Yorkshire www.incrediblefarm.co.uk/
Tourism enterprise category
- Littletown Guest House and Tearoom, Littletown Farm, Keswick, Cumbria www.littletownfarm.co.uk/
- Station House Café, Whitegate, Winsford, Cheshire http://whitegatestation.org.uk/
- Beverley Food Festival, Beverley Town Council, Beverley, East Yorkshire
- Yorkshire Heart Vineyard, Nun Monkton, York, North Yorkshire www.yorkshireheart.com/
Butcher category
- Low Howgill Butchers & Deli, 21 Boroughgate, Appleby, Cumbria https://www.facebook.com/LowHowgillButchers/
- A V Fawcett & Sons, Ingleby, Greenhow, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire www.av-fawcett.co.uk
- North Acomb Farm Shop, Bywell, Stocksfield, Northumberland http://northacomb.co.uk/
- Bolster Moor Farm and Coffee Shop, Golcar, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire www.bolstermoorfarmshop.co.uk/
Notes to editors:
- Each business will receive a visit from judges.
- Regional winners will be announced in February and will advance to the national finals.
- Our regions are: South West, South East, East, Midlands, North, Wales.
- The Parliamentary reception will be held at the House of Lords in London on Wednesday 22nd March 2017
- Follow the Awards on Twitter @CAAwards and use the hashtag #RuralOscars