Countryside Alliance Award winners for 2009
03.02.10The Countryside Alliance handed out its “Rural Oscars” at a Parliamentary reception on Wednesday 3rd February. British titles have gone to businesses from Cumbria, Yorkshire, Worcestershire and Dumfries, political awards went to Sir Alan Beith MP and Philip Dunne MP and the Rural Hero of 2009 Award went to Lincolnshire’s Agricultural Chaplain, Rev Canon Alan Robson.
The fifth annual Countryside Alliance Awards were launched in September and attracted a record 2.500 nominations from across Britain. Regional winners were declared in December and those winners went forward to the grand final, judged by Countryside Alliance Chief Executive Simon Hart along with Clarissa Dickson Wright, Farmers Guardian Editor Emma Penny, Daily Telegraph commentator Charlie Brooks and British Food Fortnight Director Alexia Robinson. Simon Hart announced the winners at a packed reception which was attended by all regional winners, keen to add a British title to their regional one. The winners of 2009 are:
Local Food Award: Beadlam Grange Farm Shop and Tea Room, Pockley, Yorkshire Simon Hart says: “This Award goes to a family run farm with total commitment to local produce, the surrounding community and the future of farming. To help their children have a career in the industry, this family gave them the best possible start, converting the foldyard into a farm shop and tea room which is now a much-used for a variety of different events, from Young Farmers Club parties to craft fairs and local schools’ days. The produce speaks for itself and is truly the best: all beef and sheep are from the farm and the local abattoir is only four miles away, meaning all meat can be hung on site and butchered by the resident butcher. The tearoom serves a huge variety of traditional dishes and you can be assured a huge Yorkshire welcome whenever you visit from owners Mark and Jenny Rooke.”Highly Commended: White Haywood Farm, Herefordshire
www.beadlamgrange.co.uk
Village Shop/ Post Office Award: Feckenham Community Shop, Worcestershire, Simon says: “By definition, this award goes to an entire village, because it is a community enterprise that is run by an impressive 70 volunteers. After 20 years without a shop a group of volunteers with no previous retail experience bought, upgraded and opened a new one. Villagers raised over £40,000 in just 7 months and over 300 parishioners signed up as shareholders. The result has been a resounding success, not just because a shop has returned to the village after so long, but also because of the feelgood factor the project has brought to the community. This has rippled outwards and local schools and businesses are also benefiting from this shop’s support. Inspired by their achievement the community is now planning phase 2, which will see a tearoom added to the shop, and you can guarantee it will be the most successful tearoom in the West Midlands! Congratulations to the whole team at Feckenham in Worcestershire, you officially run Britain’s best village shop.”
Highly Commended: Otley Village Store, Suffolk
Rural Enterprise Award: Machars Movies, Isle of Whithorn, Dumfries.
Simon says: “I don’t think there is another enterprise quite like it. Machars Movies has the distinction of being the most southerly cinema in Scotland at the isolated Isle of Whithorn, population 300. Volunteers have worked hard to see the crumbling St Ninian’s Hall become an all-purpose venue with an 80-seat cinema, and undertook the repairs, decoration and promotion of the project themselves. From grant funding, Machars Movies is now self-funding. Better than that, it returns its profits to the village hall and other local projects, so in turn provides essential facilities for a variety of village groups. The judges were impressed that the community started this project from scratch, providing a now-vital social enterprise in an isolated rural location.”
Highly Commended: Seasalter Lamb, Kent
www.isleofwhithorn.com/islescreen.asp
Daily Telegraph Traditional Business Award: The Greyhound Inn, Grizebeck, Cumbria
Simon says: “A unique initiative, this is a community-run pub which I think can provide a model for other struggling village pubs. Rather than see their local pub falter, Grizebeck’s locals pulled together and saved it. This is especially impressive when you consider how many local pubs are closing every month. Initially run totally by volunteers, it is now once again a thriving traditional village pub which forms the centre of the community, running events such
