FIVE Cumbrian businesses have made the northern final of the Countryside Alliance Awards, dubbed the ‘rural Oscars’.

Low Howgill Butchers and Deli in Appleby is shortlisted in the 'butcher' category, the general stores at Braithwaite and Patterdale for 'village shop/post office', Littletown Guest House and Tearoom, near Keswick, for 'tourism enterprise' and Crabtree Farm at Lupton, Kirkby Lonsdale, for 'farm enterprise'.

The winners will be announced in February and will represent the North at the national final at the Houses of Parliament in March.

The awards, in their twelfth year, are billed as a celebration of rural produce, skills, enterprise and heritage, and of the people who make the countryside tick.

This year there were more than 7,500 nominations.

Countryside Alliance Awards director Jill Grieve said: “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.”