Seven companies from Cornwall are in the running to be named the best rural businesses in the UK after being shortlisted for a regional Rural Business Award.

They will battle it out against fellow rural businesses, entrepreneurs and enterprises from across the region for a place at the national final. The regional final will be held at Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester on Friday 25 October, with the National Final taking place early next year.

The companies are:

• St Buryan Farm Shop from Penzance (The Best Rural Diversification Project category, Best Rural Retail Business category and the Best Rural Food or Drink Business category)

• Tredethick Farm Cottages from Loswithiel (The Best Rural Diversification Project category and Best Rural Tourism Business category)

• Green&Blue from Perranporth (The Best Rural Retail Business category)

• Holdcroft Lighting & Home from Bude (The Best Rural Retail Business category)

• FOLK2FOLK from Launceston (The Best Rural Professional Services Business category)

• Oh So Social from Penryn (The Best Rural Digital, Communications or Media Business category)

• Glynn Barton Cottages from Bodmin (The Best Rural Tourism Business category)

The Rural Business Awards 2019/2020, in partnership with Amazon, will mark the Awards’ fifth year of celebrating the success of businesses across the UK’s rural economy – a segment which employs in excess of 3.4 million people in over 750,000 businesses in England alone. The Awards are organised by rural business for rural business with the aim of celebrating the achievements of rural businesses and developing a strong network for rural business owners.

Speaking after being shortlisted for an award, Morwenna Bone from St Buryan Farm Shop said: “It’s a great achievement to be shortlisted for a Rural Business Award.

"We’re immensely proud of our business and people, so to get recognition like this from the Rural Business Awards and Amazon is incredibly exciting for us. We look forward to attending the ceremony later this year and can’t wait to meet lots of other great businesses from rural communities across the region."

Director and Co-Founder of The Rural Business Awards, Anna Price, added: “The 2019/2020 Awards have seen record numbers of entries and it’s encouraging to see so many rural businesses express a desire to celebrate their successes on a regional and national scale.

"We are passionate about creating a nurturing environment where rural businesses can develop, and this starts by showcasing the great work they do. On behalf of everyone at the Rural Business Awards, we want to say well done to all the shortlisted businesses and wish them luck ahead of the regional finals.”