We WON!!!
And I can’t tell you how super chuffed and super proud I feel following the Rural Business Awards 2021/2022 National Final.
After winning the regional final, we went onto represent the South West at the National and have now been named the Best Rural Tourism Business in the UK.
It’s great for me and also for the Forest of Dean to have this recognition. The first eighteen months of trading were tough – having to close only a few months after opening was difficult, so I really feel proud for what has been achieved in just over two years of business. We have been consistently fully booked, with many being repeat customers. Being sited in a wildflower meadow, rich in biodiversity, the cabins are a very romantic place and manage to marry luxury with sustainability – so it’s a real win win.
The awards recognise and celebrate the successes and vital contributions of businesses to the UK’s rural economy, a sector which in England alone contributes £261bn to the nation’s GVA (Gross Value Added) – nearly a fifth of the country’s total economic activity. Founded by rural-based businesswomen, Jemma Clifford and Anna Price, the Rural Business Awards are backed by Amazon and judged by an independent panel of judges, drawn from the rural business sector, rural public sector agencies and rural charitable organisations.
Jemma Clifford, Director and Co-Founder of The Rural Business Awards, said: “On behalf of everyone at the Rural Business Awards, I would like to congratulate the rural businesses that worked tirelessly throughout another challenging year. Every year, I continue to be proud and remain in awe of the high calibre of entries to the Awards and each business who was shortlisted should be very proud to reach the National Final”.