Retail Categories 2025: 

Delicatessen

A shop which offers a variety of high-quality speciality foods from around the world (though often with a local focus) which require little or no preparation on the part of the customer. These can include cheese, salads and charcuterie – and often coffee – which can be taken home, or consumed on-site if the store has a seating area.

Farm Shop Large / Farm Shop Small 

(The large and small category will be defined by the turnover stated in the entry form as follows: If annual turnover is £600,000 or under please enter the small category. If annual turnover is £600,000 or more please enter the large category.)

A retailer that is set in or nearby a farm which sells fresh products grown, picked or reared on the farm itself or from specialist producers in the local area. Products can include everything from meat, fish and cheese – and the shop may include a café area.

Independent local shop / Village store

A retail space, often operating in a rural location, which serves the local community by selling a wide variety of farm-sourced, fresh or deli produce, alongside other useful services. Or if you are a local, artisan outlet (such as ice creamery) you are welcome to enter this category.

Online Business

A food business that sells and delivers farm-sourced fresh or deli produce direct to consumers through a dedicated website or other online platform.

Other Specialist Retailer to include:

Baker:  A retailer who produces and sells flour-based goods baked in an oven such as bread, cakes, pastries and pies. Bakeries can double-up as cafés serving drinks and snacks to customers, alongside baked goods, to eat-in or takeaway.

Butcher:  A fully-trained professional who performs both primary and secondary butchery to prepare fresh cuts of meat for sale to the public. Butcher’s shops often also offer meal accompaniments (from deli-style cheese to fresh vegetables and herbs) but focus on a wide variety of meat cut to order.

Cheesemonger:  A retailer with an in-depth working knowledge of storing, preparing and selling cheese, and other dairy products – often with a strong locally-sourced offer. Cheesemongers also often sell accompaniments such as chutneys, sauces and crackers.

Fishmonger:  A specialist retailer with an expert working knowledge of storing, preparing and selling fish, crustaceans and general seafood, often alongside accompaniments including herbs and condiments.

Food Hall:  A retail space, usually part of a larger store, dedicated to selling fresh and prepared food to eat-in or takeaway. To be eligible for the awards the food hall should include a large proportion of farm-sourced items and/or speciality deli food.

Greengrocer:  A retailer with an expert working knowledge of storing, preparing and selling fresh vegetables and fruit. Their selection can also include a range of ambient / chilled food and drink.

For our new 'Other Specialist Retailer' category, we reserve the right to seperate any of these categories to be individual awards after entries have closed, should the demand require it.

Awards are for an individual shop or business unit. If your business has more than one store/unit (e.g a chain of bakeries or butchers), and you wish to enter more than one, then please ensure you identify the business name and store/branch clearly on the entry form. You will then be required to submit an individual entry form for each additional store. Please ensure each entry is tailored to the store and not duplicated from other entries. 

Should you wish to enter the same shop in more than one category, please ensure you tailor the entry to be relevant to each category. Should you provide the same wording across multiple categories only one will be taken forward.

Also this year, the Awards are searching for the “Best in Region” 

This additional award will cover the following 7 regions:

- Best Retailer Anglia

- Best Retailer Midlands - this would include East Midlands and West Midlands

- Best Retailer North of England - this would include North East, North West and Yorkshire & Humberside

- Best Retailer Northern Ireland

- Best Retailer Scotland

- Best Retailer South of England - this would include London, South East and South West

- Best Retailer Wales

You will select your local region on the online entry form.

Please take a look at the Regional Map below if you are unsure what region to select.

You are automatically entered into the pool for the Best in Region upon applying for one of the original specialist retailer categories.

The initial judging process of the online entry forms in will include a weighted scoring system to decide “Category” and “Best in Region” Winners.

Independent retailers must be selling regional fresh/farm produce or with a delicatessen counter, and only independent retailers (who sell directly to consumers/individuals) can enter the awards.

REGIONAL MAP

This year, we will also be awarding our highest accolade; Retailer of the Year. 

Our winner will be selected by the judges from retailers who have won both their category and region.

Additionally, if your store / business opened after 1st September 2022 then your entry may automatically be put forward to be shortlisted for our "Newcomer of the Year" award.