STAFF at a butcher's shop which doubles up as a thriving food hall are celebrating being nominated for another award.

Brace of Butchers, in Poundbury, is nominated for Best Butcher of the UK and Best Newcomer in the UK at the Farm Shop and Deli Show at the NEC in Birmingham.

The shop is the brainchild of local businessman Tom Amery.

He said: "As long as you are able to offer your customers great service and fine products, the ethos of the traditional trader is still alive and kicking which enables us to flourishing in the heart of the community.

Mr Amery added: "Our experienced butchers have knowledge about meat that you won’t find easily and we want to encourage people to tap into that knowledge, discover more about meat and, most importantly of all, learn how to cook it and enjoy it at home."

Brace of Butchers offers locally-sourced beef (expertly dry-aged on the premise), pork, lamb, poultry and game and a whole range of local produce which can be acquired including bread from Leakers Artisan Bakery in Bridport, West country cheeses and charcuterie, home-baked pies and pasties, market fresh fruit and vegetables, a range of food-to-go.

The business is now boasting a range of in-house products, thoughtfully developed by local restauranteur and chef Mark Vaughan, which make a welcome addition to the baskets of more than 55,000 customers per year that require a lovingly prepared dish that can be finished at home in less than 40 minutes.

Since opening in October 2014, Brace of Butchers has picked up several awards including National New Butcher of the Year in the Butchers Shop of the Year Awards 2015, winner in the Wessex FM Local Business Awards 2015 and a finalist spot in the Taste of Dorset 2015 awards, and a silver in the National Sausage Awards.