By Julian Whittle

Last updated at 16:49, Tuesday, 19 February 2013

Three Cumbrian businesses are among the regional winners of the 2012 Countryside Alliance Awards, dubbed the ‘rural Oscars’.

Nick and Ana Jones

The Watermill at Little Salkeld, which makes organic flour, took the ‘enterprise’ section. The Llama Karma Kafe at Brougham, near Penrith, triumphed in the ‘start-up’ category, while the Hawkshead Relish Company, Hawkshead, won the ‘local food’ section.

The awards, in their eighth year, celebrate the characters, skills, traditions and enterprise of the countryside, and the people who make it tick.

Simon Hamlyn, the Countryside Alliance’s regional director, said: “The north west continues to have a tough year with bad weather affecting the harvest and tourism. It is essential that we support our small rural businesses – celebrating them in the ‘rural Oscars’ gives them a well-deserved boost.”

All entries are nominated by the public.

Eight Cumbrian businesses made the regional shortlist.

Lanercost Tea Room, at Lanercost near Brampton, was highly commended in the ‘enterprise’ section as was Mansergh Hall Farm, near Kirkby Lonsdale, in the ‘butcher’ category.

Also shortlisted were Croft Farm Meats, an organic small-holding at Houghton, near Carlisle, in ‘local food’, the Eden Foodival festival at Brough in ‘enterprise’, and Swanson House Hotel, Brough, in ‘start-ups’.

The regional winners go forward to a grand final at the Houses of Parliament on March 13.

First published at 16:45, Tuesday, 19 February 2013
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk