Three firms make it to final of top rural awards
A quirky wedding venue, a micro bakery and a rights of way consultancy are all in with a chance of being named three of Britain’s best countryside-based firms, after making the final stages of the Rural Business Awards 2017.
The Ceridwen Centre in the Teifi Valley, ET Landnet of Llanelli and Crwst of Pembrokeshire have been named among nationwide finalists in separate categories of the awards.
Ceridwen Centre is an ecominded holiday, course, retreat, event and wedding venue on a 40-acre organic farm in the Teifi Valley.
With accommodation for more than 60 people in yurts, a Romany caravan, a double decker bus, eco pod, upcycled static caravans and converted traditional stone buildings, Ceridwen is licensed for wedding ceremonies and holds receptions in a giant tipi.
The farm is fully organic and still has 12 acres of oats, wildflower hay meadows and a small organic market garden growing veg for visitors and courses.
ET Landnet is a consultancy specialising in rights of way, advising and representing landowners throughout England and Wales.
Based in Llanelli, it offers legal and technical expertise on footpath and bridleway diversions, modification orders and challenging path claims, as well as public inquiries, representation cases and advice on gates, stiles, surfaces and structures.
Crwst is a micro-bakery based in Pembrokeshire at a home kitchen. Co-owners Catrin and Osian Jones produce handmade real bread and seasonal bakes from home, with the aim of bringing London’s modern and trendy bakes to rural west Wales.
Crwst supplies up to 10 local businesses in the area and uses local produce in the bakes, such as Pembrokeshire Sea Salt.
The couple grow vegetables used in bakes and use online tools such as social media to promote the business. The whole concept of Crwst impressed judges, who felt Catrin and Osian showed vision and ambition for their relatively young business.
The RBAs are the brainchild of Leicestershire businesswomen Anna Price and Jemma Clifford, who wanted to showcase the wealth of entrepreneurial talent in rural areas of Britain – a sector of the economy they felt was all too often overlooked in favour of large city-based firms.
Helen Woolley, director general of the CLA, said: “Each of these outstanding rural businesses deserves a place in the final. They have shown great expertise in their field and have a real understanding of how their business fits into the rural economy. .”
This year’s awards ceremony will be held in Surrey on October 5.