
Nusrat Ghani, MP for Sussex Weald, is inviting Sussex Weald residents to nominate local businesses for The Countryside Alliance Awards, also known as the Rural Oscars.
The Countryside Alliance Awards celebrate rural businesses that go the extra mile in supporting their local economy and communities to ensure that Britain’s food and farming industry can flourish. The Awards are public-nomination-led, meaning that it’s down to the general public and loyal customers to nominate their favourite rural businesses for their contribution to the local area.
The Awards cover five categories: Village Shop & Post Office; Butcher; Pub; Local Food; Rural Enterprise; in addition to the Clarissa Dickson Wright Award.
The nominations are now open until 12 December and can be made online here.
Sussex Weald has previously been successful in scooping up gold for the South East Region in the Rural Enterprise category. In 2023, it was South Brockwells Farm in Little Horsted who got the trophy while in 2024, Eridge-based Smiles Sensory and Family Farm were crowned winners of this category.
Nusrat Ghani said: “The Countryside Alliance Awards are an excellent way to promote our local businesses who work so hard to keep rural Britain thriving. Sussex Weald produce is second to none and our area is home to so many businesses worthy of this prestigious national recognition. Please get involved and put our favourite business forward, so that we can not only show them how valued they are, but also continue to build on our fantastic success and put our corner of the world on the map again.”