Shorlisted: Village shops up for Rural Oscar

Broadhembury and Dalwood to battle it out for regional title.

Two village enterprises in East Devon have been shortlisted in the South West round of the 2011 Countryside Alliance Awards, nicknamed the Rural Oscars.

Broadhembury Post Office and Dalwood Community Shop have been shortlisted in the village shop/post office category.

Regional winners will be announced in January.

In its seventh year, the awards scheme celebrates the characters, skills, traditions and enterprise of the countryside.

Alison Hawes, the Aliiance’s South West director, said: “These businesses represent the very best of the South West’s produce, enterprise and community spirit and I congratulate the finalists on getting this far in what is an increasingly competitive awards scheme.

“I am really looking forward to getting out and meeting the people behind each business and speaking to them about their valued contribution to our rural economy and communities.”