Doing us all proud

Feb 7 2008 by Jane Hall, The Journal

IT was a day of mixed fortunes for three successful rural North East businesses looking to be crowned the best in Britain.

The trio – all regional winners in the annual Countryside Alliance Best Rural Retailer contest – had been hoping to walk off with the national titles in their respective categories.

But only Piercebridge Organic Farm Shop and Cafe near Darlington, County Durham, kept the flag flying for the region, taking the runners-up spot in the best diversification category. Both Allendale Co-operative Society (best shop/PO) and The Country Barn farm shop in Widdrington, near Morpeth, both Northumberland, walked away empty-handed from yesterday’s Countryside Alliance winners’ reception at the House of Lords in London.

All three picked up their regional titles in December and were hoping to beat off rivals from 11 other UK areas to be acclaimed the best rural retailers nationally.

Tully’s of Rothbury delicatessen had also 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 in the national newspaper.

Liz Hodgson, who has run Piercebridge with husband Chris for the last seven years, declared herself “delighted” with their highly commended. “It is nice to have a reward for all the hard work and nice to have some recognition for the North East. A lot of these awards go south.

“It is a recommendation that we are on the right track and we are fulfilling what we wanted to by being organic.”

The couple, who are in their early 50s “but feel 30 most of the time and sometimes 70 at the end of the day”, opened their business just before the 2001 foot-and-mouth crisis. But they rode out the storm and now rear organic chicken, beef cattle, sheep and pigs sold through the shop along with homemade ready meals and cakes.

They have received awards from the Soil Association for their organic produce and were featured in Rick Stein’s Food Heroes of Great Britain.

“We have come a long way in a very short time,” Mrs Hodgson said. “But it is good for the region and shows we can compete here in the North East.”

Richard Dodd, regional director of the Countryside Alliance, said: “This is a wonderful diversification and shows what hard work and determination can do.”

This region has a good track record in the Countryside Alliance 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.

This year’s contest was run over 12 UK regions and four categories. More than 2,500 nominations were received nationally and 11 were shortlisted from the North East.

For Allendale Co-operative Society, it was a disappointing trip south to the capital for voluntary member Ben Baldock, general manager Matt Coulson and assistants Diane Pringle and Kathleen Murray.

They had been hopeful of lifting the national best shop/PO title. But Mr Baldock said: “It was all about post offices this year and we knew it wasn’t going to be our day.

“The co-operative doesn’t have a post office; we are a not-for-profit business that works with the community.”

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