Countryside Alliance News

Meet the Rural Oscars finalists for the East of England

Written by Countryside Alliance | 5 December 2016

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


The finalists in the 2016 Rural Oscars in the East of England are:

Local food & drink category

Village shop / Post Office category

  • 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


Tourism enterprise category

Farm enterprise category

Butcher category

Countryside Alliance Awards director Jill Grieve commented: "This has been a record year for nominations, showing how much the public values and supports our hard working rural businessmen and women. For these finalists to get this far is already an exceptional achievement and I look forward to meeting them as judging gets underway. The Rural Oscars were set up to champion those who go the extra mile for their communities and it is an honour to offer a voice to rural business in this way."

Notes to editors:

  • 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 22nd March 2017

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