Six Dorset businesses have been listed as finalists in the prestigious ‘Rural Oscars’.

The south west finalists of the 2017 Countryside Alliance Awards, known as the Rural Oscars, have been announced, and traders across the region will now go head to head for a regional title and a shot at being national champions. 

The annual awards are the Countryside Alliance’s celebration of rural produce, skills, enterprise and heritage. Now in its 13th year, it has become the definitive rural business award to win. 

Finalists in the south west beat thousands of other nominations put forward this year across five different categories.

The awards are public-nomination led, meaning that the businesses have been nominated by one or more people who value what the Countryside Alliance describes as the ‘remarkable contribution’ the they make to the local area.

The Salt Pig, in Wareham, is a finalist in the Local Food/Drink category. In the Village Shop/Post Office category is Charlton Horethorne Village Shop in Sherborne, and Chettle Village Stores in Blandford. 

Future Roots’ Rylands Farm in Sherborne is a finalist of the Rural Enterprise category while the White Hart, also in Sherborne, is listed under the Pub category. 

Webster Family Butchers, in Bournemouth, is a finalist of the Butcher category. 

Countryside Alliance awards director Sarah Lee 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.” 

Regional champions will be announced in February 2018 and then invited to the British final, which will be held in April 2018 at the House of Lords.