Top prizes for Tandragee and Loughgall businesses

LOCAL retailers have proved the cream of the crop at the Countryside Alliance Awards held last week.

The Head O’ The Road Bar at The Birches was named winner of the Pub/Restaurant category while Tandragee’s Garden Fresh and Lily’s Flowers was awarded Best Rural Enterprise.

There were also commendations for The Village Store in Loughgall and Ellie Mo’s, Portadown.

Expressing his delight at receiving an award, Robert Weir at Garden Fresh and Lily’s Flowers said, “We were absolutely delighted.

“It gives us a chance to keep Tandragee on the map. We’re part of a small community here and town centres are struggling at the minute so we want to keep the place on the map.”

And Robert was keen to sing the praises of the local growers that play such a vital role in the shop - indeed as he put it ‘without them we wouldn’t be here’.

He said, “We support local growers and get their stuff to market.

“It’s nice to be recognised for what you do and obviously we didn’t expect anything. Someone put us forward but we didn’t expect it to go anywhere.

“If we hadn’t the support from the community and customers we wouldn’t have been there.”

And while they didn’t get to raise a glass of champagne at the awards ceremony itself - with the drive home to think of - there was a ‘wee celebration’ when they got home safely.

And the next step is the UK final in June when they will be pitted against local retailers who topped their categories in England, Scotland and Wales.

Robert stressed his thanks and support for the local growers, “If it wasn’t for local growers, we wouldn’t have a shop.

“Whilst we do our best in the shop to sell the stuff, if it’s a quiet day, we can come back the next day. If you’re growing stuff in fields and its ripening, you can’t come back.

“The growers play a very impotrtant role and we do our best to support them, we pay our growers on the spot because we are so grateful to them for supplying us with fresh produce.”

The shop is also a stalwart supporter of its local community - from going down to local creches supplying them with seed to grow and show them how to get their hands dirty, to delivering to the elderly and people with disabilities.

As Robert put it, “We are a community shop.”

Local Independent Councillor Paul Berry expressed his delight at the succes and said, “Very well deserved to Robert and his brilliant team.”

Meanwhile, Upper Bann MLA Jonathan Buckley said the The Birches and Loughgall had been out in force at the awards.

He said, “It was fantastic to join the teams from Ellie Mo’s, The Village Store, Loughgall, and The Head O’ The Road at the Countryside Alliance Awards.

“Huge congratulations to our local winners and finalists:

“The Head O’ The Road – Winner of the Pub/Restaurant category

“Loughgall Village Store – Highly Commended Villiage Shop & Post office

Ellie Mo’s – Highly Commended for Rural Enterprise

“A massive well done to all our brilliant rural businesses for their well-deserved recognition! You keep our communities well-fed, well-served, and well-looked-after all year round.

“Let’s give them a big round of applause!”