A thriving wedding venue born from a derelict sheep farm and a rural healthcare service are just some of the businesses shortlisted for an annual event celebrating farm diversification.
The annual Rural Business Awards celebrate the success of rural and farming businesses that have diversified.
The awards are due to be held on 5th October at Denbies Wine Estate in Surrey.
Created by an entrepreneurial duo of countryside-based business women, Jemma Clifford and Anna Price, and backed by the CLA and Amazon, the RBAs are the only UK-wide programme dedicated to showcasing the success of rural businesses.
Winners in the 14 categories – ranging from Best Rural Start-up and Rural Innovation of the Year; through to Rural Entrepreneur Of The Year and Champions Of Champions – are decided by an independent panel of judges drawn from the rural business sector.
A record number of nominations were received from hundreds of rural businesses across the UK, breaking the previous record.
Entries came from 52 counties across the UK; with Devon, Lancashire and Leicestershire businesses submitting the most entries.
'Flourishing hotpot'
Rural Britain’s food and start-up sector continues to make up a large percentage of the entrants, but overall the highest number of entries came from businesses in the tourism sector, representing 14% of all entrants.
Contenders in the ‘Best Rural Start-up’ shortlist include Cotswold’s Distillery, the first and currently only full-scale distillery in the Rolling Cotswolds Hills.
Cotswold’s Distillery produces single malt whisky and dry gin using local raw materials and traditional techniques with an innovative attitude.
Running for ‘Rural Innovation of the Year’ is Winch Energy, an off-grid renewable energy developer which provides electricity, Wi-Fi and running water to communities who are currently using kerosene, dry batteries and gas as a means of energy due to lack of access to an electrical grid.
Jemma Clifford, Joint-Founder of the RBAs, added: “Business success is often associated with the bright lights of our big cities, but the truth is that rural Britain is a flourishing hotpot of business zeal, imagination and buoyant bottom lines.”
Best Rural Start-up
• Herdy Sleep, based in Leeds, West Yorkshire
• Cotswolds Distillery, based in Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire
• Dunnet Bay Distillers Ltd, based in Thurso, Caithness, Highland
• The Dog Treat Company, based in Newton Abbot, Devon
• Madley Plants, Hereford, Herefordshire
Outstanding Rural Diversification Project
• Mini Explorers Nursery, based in Northallerton, North Yorkshire
• Flowers from the Farm Ltd, based in York, Yorkshire
• T.Mellor and Son, based in Driffield, North Yorkshire
• Knitsley Farm Shop, based in Consett, Durham
• Iscoyd Park LLP, based in Whitchurch, Shropshire
Best Rural Clothing or Accessories Business
• Emma Brown Tweed, based in Preston, Rutland
• Loopy Ewes, based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
• Butler Stewart Clothing, based in Market Harborough, Leicestershire
• Derriere Equestrian Ltd, based in Broadway, Worcestershire
• APT Fabrics Ltd, based in Ardkeen, Down
Rural Innovation of the year
• Winch Energy Ltd, based in Sevenoaks, Kent
• Engineering Technologies & Manufacturing Ltd, based in Northampton
• The Wellbeing Farm, based in Bolton, Lancashire
• APT Fabrics Ltd, based in Ardkeen, Down
• Zettlex (UK) Ltd, based in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
Best Rural Manufacturing Business
• James Kittow Butcher & Grazier, based in Par, Cornwall
• Mike Wye & Associates Ltd, based in Beaworthy, Devon
• Yurts for Life, based in Totnes, Devon
• Cotswold RAW, based in Evesham, Worcestershire
• APT Fabrics Ltd, based in Ardkeen, Down
Best Rural Professional Services Business
• McCartneys LLP, based in Ludlow, Shropshire
• Greenway Training, based in Lyneham, Wiltshire
• Roythornes Limited, based in Spalding, Lincolnshire
• ET Landnet Ltd, based in Cefneithin, Llanelli
• Appetite Me, based in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
Best Rural Creative or Media based Business
• Rural Maps, based in Southampton, Hampshire
• Farm Creative, based in Preston, Lancashire
• The Artisan Food Trail, based in Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire
• Holdsworth PR, based in Washington, West Sussex
• Rural Roots PR, based in Oakham, Rutland
Social enterprise / community project of the year
• Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity, based in Bedfordshire
• Field Nurse, based in Clitheroe, Lancashire
• Rhubarb Farm Cic, based in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire
• Infused Learning, based in Nottingham
• Communigrow, based in Maidstone, Kent
Best Rural Tourism Business
• Hoe Grange Holidays, based in Matlock, Derbyshire
• Barleylands Farm Park and Craft Village, based in Billericay, Essex
• The Rookery, based in Roughlee, Lancashire
• Ceridwen Centre Ltd, based in Llandysul, Carmarthenshire
• Humble Bee Leisure, based in Scarborough, North Yorkshire
Best Rural Sporting Business
• Lavant House Stables, based in Lavant, Chichester
• Radway Riding School, based in Radway, Warwickshire
• E.J.Churchill Shooting Ground, based in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire
• The Shotgun & Chelsea Bun Club, based in Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire
• Divoky Riding School, based in Shepton Mallet, Somerset
Rural Employer of the year
• Hartley Farm Shop Ltd, based in Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire
• T Soanes & Son Poultry, based in Driffield, East Riding of Yorkshire
• Mike Wye & Associates Ltd, based in Beaworthy, Devon
• Wallops Wood Cottages, based in Droxford, Hampshire
• Engineering Technologies & Manufacturing Ltd, based in Northampton
Rural Entrepreneur of the year
• Iscoyd Park LLP, based in Whitchurch, Shropshire
• Marsh Farm Animal Adventure Park, based in Chelmsford, Essex
• Williams Automobiles Ltd, based in Chipping Sodbury, Avon
• Crwst, based in Boncath, Pembrokeshire
• Holdsworth PR, based in Washington, West Sussex
Best Food & Drink Business
• T Soanes & Son Poultry, based in Driffield, East Riding of Yorkshire
• Jolly Nice Ltd, based in Stroud, Gloucestershire
