Celebrate Our Rural Champions

Nominations are now open for the 2026 Countryside Alliance Awards, better known as the Rural Oscars! These brilliant awards are all about celebrating the people and small businesses who keep West Berkshire’s countryside and villages thriving.

From our butchers and brewers to our pubs, post offices, and community projects, there are so many local heroes who go the extra mile to keep our rural areas buzzing. These awards are a great way to say thank you and give them the recognition they deserve.

There are categories for:

• Local Food & Drink: producers putting our community on the map

• Village Shop/Post Office: the heart of village life

• Butcher: whether traditional craft or modern innovation

• Rural Enterprise: businesses making a real difference locally

• Pub: special places that bring people together

• Clarissa Dickson Wright Award: for campaigning, education, and the best of British produce

Here in Newbury and across West Berkshire, we’re lucky to have so many hardworking local businesses and organisations at the heart of community life. They support jobs, connect neighbours, and help make our area such a fantastic place to live and work.

If you know a local business or project that deserves a bit of recognition, this is your chance to nominate them.

Nominations close on 12 December 2025.

Find out more and submit your nomination here: www.countryside-alliance.org/awards