Farm Shop & Deli Awards Entries Extended

The deadline has been extended to ensure the maximum number of public votes can be collected.

The awards are open to all UK-based independent retailers, selling regional fresh produce or with a deli counter. There are 12 categories to enter.

Jack Halliday, director of the Farm Shop & Deli Show, said, “We have listened to feedback from our entrants about the popularity of the competition. The decision to extend the deadline into September will help our independent retailers generate as much self-promotion for their businesses within their local community as possible, which is what the competition is all about.”

Each award will be judged on the many factors covering speciality retail including highest levels of service, product knowledge, initiative, innovation and community involvement.

Customer comments received through votes make up part of the judging process, which will be read and assessed against these criteria by the judges.

Sue Rendell, owner of Aldbourne Stores Ltd, in Wiltshire, Local Shop of the Year entrant said, “Being a local village shop, the Awards have given us such a great platform to interact with our local community and gain support for our entry - it’s so wonderful to hear from our customers that we are valued as much as we are. The fact that the Awards deadline has been extended gives us more time to promote ourselves and gain more votes.”

Mat Kelly, owner of Pistachio & Pickle, in Islington, Delicatessen of the Year entrant, added, “The support for the competition from our customer base has been overwhelming, it’s such a great way to interact with our customers and the comments we received so far have not only been invaluable for our business, but rewarding to find out how important our business is to our local community.”

The Awards final will be held on 25th March at the Farm Shop & Deli Show in Birmingham. For more information on how to enter, visit www.farmshopanddeliawards.co.uk.