Fifty finalists chosen as inaugural 2025 Rural Awards comes to Shropshire - find out the shortlist here
Around 50 farming businesses, entrepreneurs and “unsung heroes” of the agricultural community have been shortlisted for the 2025 Rural Awards.
Created by the Shropshire Star and its sister publication The Farmer, these inaugural awards will shine a spotlight on the businesses, organisations, and individuals who work tirelessly to ensure our rural economy and way of life continue to thrive.
From seasoned agricultural pioneers to innovative young farmers, the Rural Awards will celebrate the full spectrum of talent and dedication that makes Shropshire’s countryside so extraordinary.
The winners of the awards will be announced tomorrow (Wednesday) night at a gala dinner at Shrewsbury Town Football Club.
They will be selected from 12 categories that celebrate all that is best of the county’s farming community will be announced, ranging from Family Business of the Year, Farming Event of the Year to the much-coveted Farm of the Year award, and more.
Businesses that are sponsoring the award ceremony include: Dyke Yaxley, Wynnstay Berrys, WR Partners, GS and Reeves andHJ Lea Oakes.
The host for the awards are none other than legendary radio broadcaster Dicky Dodd.
Dicky has been a popular voice in broadcasting for nearly 30 years.
He started at Beacon Radio back in 1994 and since then has hosted numerous on-air radio shows and events.
He said: “"I'm really looking forward to hosting the Rural Awards because we get to celebrate some amazing people from across the county of Shropshire.
“It's always good to celebrate unsung heroes who do extraordinary things. I'm sure it's going to be a memorable event for everyone who attends and I get the privilege of hosting the evening.”
The judges too are all ready to handpick winners from those shortlisted, and include experts from various fields.
They are, Dan Bowden, a Partner and Chartered Surveyor at with Barbers Rural, who operate throughout Shropshire, Cheshire and Staffordshire; Roy Jackson a rural partner at WR Partners who has worked with farming and landowning rural clients for over 25 years; Rosemary Allen, a retired livestock farmer and Shropshire Star contributor; Richard Yates, a Shropshire farmer and contributor to the Bridgnorth Journal; and Matthew Anwyl, a partner at Berrys Property Litigation Support team.
Editor of the Shropshire Star, Mark Drew, said: “These are challenging times, with many facing eroding margins and increasing financial pressures. And, of course, there is the ongoing inheritance tax controversy that is a concern for many long established family farms.
“But there are many reasons to be positive about our beautiful county of Shropshire, with world-leading agricultural research and many stories of individuals and businesses who make rural life not only possible, but exceptional as the 2025 Rural Awards are set to show.”
