A BUTCHERS shop is calling upon supporters to select it as the prime recipient for a prestigious award.

Poundbury-based Brace of Butchers has entered the Best Butcher Award at the Farm Shop & Deli Awards 2020 and needs support to win.

The independent butchers is hoping to follow up its success at the 2017 awards when it won Best Newcomer of the Year.

The awards, run in partnership with The Grocer magazine, are highly respected in the industry for playing an important role in supporting, and celebrating, the UK's independent, specialist retail market. Each entrant is judged on the many factors including the highest levels of service, product knowledge, initiative, innovation and community involvement.

Chairman of judges, food writer and broadcaster, Nigel Barden, will be joined by leading speciality retailers and key industry figures to bring a wealth of knowledge to the judging process which includes mystery visits and public votes from consumers via the awards website.

He said: "I am delighted to continue to be involved with the Farm Shop & Deli Awards. It’s a fabulous initiative for the sector and offers the best way to recognise and reward excellence for the UK’s local, artisan and high street speciality retailers.”

The aim of the awards is to highlight the UK’s highly driven and passionate local businesses like Brace of Butchers and to help build them into a destination business, putting them on the map both regionally and nationally and in turn, raising interest in the local area.

Tom Amery, partner at Brace of Butchers said: “We sell top quality products sourced from local farms and suppliers however, we continue to innovate and provide a service that is nationally recognised. We therefore always ask ourselves these two questions when making a decision; can you get it online? And can national retailers do it? Modern retail high streets will only survive by offering points of difference and creating new solutions to stay ahead."

Mr Amery went on to add that the shop has introduced zero plastic items in a new opening called Naked Brace, refillable milk straight from the local dairy, freshly caught fish from Weymouth, a customer BBQ on Fridays so people can try the meat, bunches of local grown flowers.

Customers are always welcome to have a simple chat with staff, he added, as sometimes that can be the only contact some of the customers may have in the day.

All entrants could also win a regional title. The regional winners progress through to the final with the chance to win the coveted overall title of Farm Shop & Deli Awards Retailer of the Year announced at the Farm Shop & Deli Show on Monday, March 30 at Birmingham’s NEC.

Voting closes on Thursday, October 31 and one lucky voter will be entered in a draw to win a food hamper. Vote online via the 2020 ‘Entrants’ web page at farmshopanddelishow.co.uk/awards-directory-2020