Aiming to be best in Britain

Feb 6 2008 by Jane Hall, The Journal

THREE successful rural businesses chosen as standard bearers for the North-East will hear today if they can claim to be the best in Britain.

The trio are the regional winners in the annual Countryside Alliance Best Rural Retailer contest, which aims to identify shops and other businesses which give outstanding service in their isolated communities.

The three businesses – two from Northumberland and one from County Durham – will contest the national final of the competition at a winners’ reception this lunchtime at the House of Lords in London.

Allendale Co-operative Society (best shop/PO), The Country Barn farm shop in Widdrington, near Morpeth, (best local food category) and Piercebridge Organic Farm Shop and Cafe near Darlington, County Durham (best diversification), picked up their regional titles in December. But they will be hoping to beat off rivals from 11 other UK areas to be crowned the best rural retailers nationally.

Tully’s of Rothbury delicatessen had gone through to the national final after taking the North-East title for best traditional business, but found out last Saturday they had lost out to Pembrokeshire butcher Andrew Rees after the winner of the Daily Telegraph sponsored category was announced early by the national newspaper. Run across 12 UK regions and four categories, the Countryside Alliance competition received more than 2,500 nominations this year and 11 were shortlisted in the North-East.

This region has a good track record in the competition, which is in its third year. David Carr’s corner shop in Longframlington, Northumberland, took top honour in the best shop or post office category in 2006. The previous year he had been runner-up nationally in the same class after taking the North-East title.

For the Allendale Co-operative Society, this is the first time they have entered the competition, and winning the regional title came out of the blue. Now staff have their fingers crossed they will take the national accolade.

Secretary Jane Coser said: “We were delighted when we won the regional award. It wasn’t something we had planned, it came as a bolt from the blue. But we are cock-a-hoop about it and now we are really keen to win the national title.”

The co-operative received dozens of nominations, with special praise for the staff’s cheerful attitude. Richard Dodd, regional director of the Countryside Alliance, said: “Yes, this place has everything you might need, but anyone can own a well-stocked shop. It takes more than that to achieve the level of popularity that Allendale Co-op has, and in an era where village shops are increasingly threatened, it is great to see Allendale really celebrating and appreciating what a small shop can bring to a community.”

The store is unique in that it is nothing to do with the national Co-operative supermarket chain, having been founded in 1874. It is still run by its members and all profits are ploughed back into the co-operative or the local community.

Serving all of Allendale, the shop stocks more than 11,000 lines, many of them local. Vegetables come from JR Holland on the Team Valley, Gateshead, bread and cakes from North-East Bakery in Newcastle, honey from both Chain Bridge at Berwick and a local bee keeper in Whitfield, and beer from the Allendale Brewery.

All the regional Best Rural Retailer winners are shining examples in their fields and their business philosophies mirror the aims of The Journal Taste North East England Campaign launched last week to encourage more shops to stock produce from our area, more restaurants and hotels to champion local food and drink and more people to buy the wealth of goods produced, raised and grown on our doorstep.

To encourage more shops – including supermarkets – to stock more North-East food and drink

To encourage more hotels, restaurants, pubs and cafes to serve more locally produced food

To encourage more people to appreciate the value of buying more locally produced food and drink

To support farm shops and farmers’ markets