West Country Blacksmiths has been shortlisted for a prestigious Countryside Alliance Award in the Rural Enterprise category.
The awards are the Countryside Alliance’s annual celebration of British food and farming, enterprise and heritage and are now in their 15th year having become the definitive rural business awards.
They are set apart from other award schemes as they are driven by public nomination, giving customers the chance to say why their favourite businesses are worthy of national acclaim. 
The awards received over 17,000 nominations this year, so being shortlisted is a great achievement.
West Country Blacksmiths has a team of highly talented craftsmen based at Allerford Forge in Somerset. They produce work to the very highest standard supporting their local communities’ needs, from minor metalwork repairs to decorative and large-scale metalwork projects.
The skill and creative talents of the craftsmen have helped them forge a reputation for the quality of their work nationally. So much so, last year they won staircase of the year, were runners-up in two national design and construction awards and featured on Grand Designs’ House of the Year.
Kieren Roberts, of West Country Blacksmiths, said: “We would like to thank the people who nominated us for this award. We work tirelessly to serve our local community and without the support we receive we would not be in business.
“Although we are privileged to have worked on some high-profile projects nationally, the vast majority of our work is Somerset-based and always will be.”
Countryside Alliance Awards Director, Sarah Lee, added: “We have been overwhelmed by nominations this year. The secret to the awards popularity is 
that they honour the people involved in these businesses and not just their produce or services.
“They exist to sing the praises of those who work hard to keep our communities and rural economy ticking, but don’t seek to spotlight. These awards provide a cause for celebration in the time of great uncertainty in the countryside.
“Our local produce is second to none and there are many community heroes and businesses worthy of national recognition”
West Country Blacksmiths will shortly be welcoming the judging panel to Allerford ahead of the English regional champions being announced in May. The regional winners will be propelled in to the grand final, to be held at parliament in June 2020.
More information about the awards can be found at – www.countryside-alliance.org/campaigns/caawards. To find out more about West Country Blacksmiths and the work they produce please visit www.westcountryblacksmiths.co.uk.
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