It will probably help both retailers and customers alike to know exactly what we are looking for in this competition and what we really need to know about each retailer in order to judge them fairly. Below are the guidelines that the national judging panel works to - sparking passionate debate along the way!
These are merely guidelines, not an exhaustive list, and please remember that the two "tests" of this Awards scheme are "community values" (which in some categories include a strand of educating and supporting the next generation) and "commitment to produce or skill". Also remember that it is the quality of the nomination that will initially catch our eyes, so "I nominate Bob because his sausages are the best" won't really cut it - tell us why Bob's sausages are the best - is it because they are made from locally reared, locally slaughtered pigs, or is it because Bob tries different recipes and takes sausage-making to a whole new level? We want to know about our nominees and what they do - we want to hear about them as three dimensional characters who are contributing to rural life.
The categories are:
- Local Food
- Daily Telegraph Village Shop/ Post Office
- Enterprise
- Butcher
- Hunter Rural Hero
The criteria we are looking for in each category are as follows:
Local Food
- Is this retailer championing ‘local food’ and supporting other local producers?
- Has the community been put on the map by the quality and diversity of local produce being sold, and breathed life into the community/ local economy?
- Is there a passionate commitment from the retailer?•Has this retailer saved or promoted a traditional local food that may otherwise have been lost?
- Would winning this competition reward a really special enterprise and tell a positive story about rural life?
- Previous winners of this category are the HFG Farm collective in Norfolk, Foxbury Farm in Oxfordshire, Beadlam Grange Farm Shop in Yorkshire and Weetons of Harrogate also in Yorkshire. Those promoting the best of British, supporting our producers, taking the time to educate and inspire the next generation and paving the way to a bright future for British produce are honoured here.
Daily Telegraph Village Shop/ Post Office
- Are the owners of this shop the hub of the community, playing the key role of the rural local shopkeeper?
- Do the owners of this shop go above and beyond the call of duty?
- Are the owners of this shop ambassadors for local produce, helping their community to make informed choices about where their food comes from and giving them the chance to support their local producers?Is the guiding motivation a sense of community?
- Do these retailers deserve this national recognition and can they be an inspiration for all village shop owners at a time when so many are failing?
- Previous winners of this category are Nettleton Shop & Post Office in Wiltshire, Morgan’s in Carmarthenshire and David Carr’s Northumberland corner shop. Here, the personalities behind the counter are what form the heart of this category. We want to hear about the incredible characters who serve their community day in, day out and never ask for praise. We are going to praise them, whether they like it or not.
Enterprise
- Has the enterprise breathed life into the community?
- Is there a passionate commitment from the owner/ retailer?
- Is this enterprise something a little bit different and a breath of fresh air? Is it inspiring?
- Is the enterprise saving something that may otherwise have been lost or promoting something that is fundamental to rural life?
- Will it contribute to rural heritage? It could be a diversified farm that might otherwise have faltered, or it could be a community-minded initiative which reaches out to local people.•Does this enterprise
- Would winning this competition reward a really special enterprise and tell a positive story about rural life?
- This award was previously known as the diversification category. Diversifications are still welcome, but many other businesses can now be honoured. New businesses, expanded businesses, complete one-offs – we want to hear about the most enterprising outfits in the countryside. Previous awards have gone to a Yorkshire buffalo farmer, a Cumbrian charity which uses farming as therapy for those with mental health issues and a couple in Sussex who turned an ailing village pub into a popular pub-deli-village shop, all under one roof. Lateral thinking and ingenuity are welcome!
Butcher
- Is this butcher supporting the local farming community?
- Is animal welfare a priority?
- Is this butcher keeping traditional butchery skills alive in a modern setting?
- Does this butcher go the extra mile, using his business to champion rural life and support all aspects of his community?
- Is this butcher concerned with informing the next generation about his role?
- Are there plans to take the business further, embedding this butcher as a business looking ahead to the future, fending off competition from larger concerns in favour of customer service, tradition and an entrepreneurial flair?
The Rural Hero Award
This category always sparks the imagination because anyone who is doing something heroic for your community and rural life is eligible. Past winners include the farmer who dreamed up Open Farm Sunday, Lincolnshire's Rural Chaplain who serves his community with compassion and vision, and a team who set up a charity to rehabilitate and rehome retired racehorses.
Why not nominate your your local Bobby? Or a lollipop lady? A river keeper, a teacher, your game dealer, your GP, your local Hunt Master, your vet. Or indeed your butcher, your farmer, your Post Mistress or pub landlord from our other categories. A journalist on your local paper might have caught your attention for campaigning for his or her local area - if so, tell us, and tell us why they are a hero. We are expecting a diverse range of nominations in this category – it is a category where age is irrelevant and nominees don’t even need to run a business. They just need to be passionate about what they do – and go above and beyond the call of duty in doing it. |
