It was a “very emotional” night for some Powys businesses, as several triumphed at the 2024 Countryside Alliance Awards in Cardiff.

Several businesses in Powys, including a village shop, a rural enterprise and a butchers,  walked away with prizes at the 2024 ‘Rural Oscars’, held at the Welsh Senedd in Cardiff on Tuesday, February 27.

The Awards are the Countryside Alliance’s annual celebration of British food and farming, enterprise and heritage through small hard-working businesses. Now in their seventeenth year, the Awards have become “the definitive rural business award to win”.

One of those winners was Llanymynech Village Shop, on a bittersweet night for the business as it announced just days earlier that it would be forced to close soon due to rising costs.

But owner Duncan Borthwick was still proud to win the Village Shop category, saying: “I am beyond proud to have won this, not just for myself and the community work I have done, but my staff and former staff share this honour too; in particular my mother Mandy, and Louise. I thank everyone who voted for us, and the judges for awarding us this honour.

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“But above all, I would like to say well done to all the businesses that were nominated- those that went on to the finals, and those that didn’t make it there, those that weren’t nominated, and those who have won it many times in a row.

“Small businesses, independent businesses, home based businesses, stall holders, craftspeople- we are the backbone of this country. We are the heart of our communities. We need your support.

“Every pound spent locally, stays local. We use local suppliers. We employ local staff. We spend our money locally. Share our social media posts, make people aware we exist, tell people about us.”

County Times: Izzy Hosking of Izzy’s Butchers at the 2024 Countryside Alliance Awards, with Russell George MS.

The award for Best Butcher went to Izzy Hosking of Izzy’s Butchers in Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant

The runner up in the Village Shop category was another Powys business, R H Bunner and Son from Montgomery, an establishment that is more than 130 years old, while Cwm Fedw Country Sports/Hel’s Kitchen took the runner up spot in Rural Enterprise category.

Writing on social media, Cwm Fedw said: “We are so proud to have been nominated and made it through to be finalist in the first place so a huge thank you to everyone who voted for us and we are proud to have flown the flag for Montgomeryshire and for our countryside community.”