Village does the double on shortlist for Rural Oscars

A pub and village shop in Garboldisham have been chosen as regional finalists in the Countryside Alliance Awards.

The Fox Inn and Garboldisham Post Office and Village Store, both in The Street, have been shortlisted in the East of England section of the awards, known as the Rural Oscars, which celebrate businesses that go the extra mile to support their communities.

The pair will go up against four other finalists from across the country in their respective categories, with a public vote set to decide the winners.

Louisa Evans, one of the directors of the community-run pub, said: “It is very rewarding that someone has nominated us and we are delighted to be in there.”

The pub, which was closed for 10 years, has been owned and run by the local community since 2016 and has gone from strength to strength. It now opens four nights a week, with a raft of volunteers and an eight-strong board.

Louisa added: “We have such a happy little pub, with so many people volunteering their free time to make it work and keep it going.

“To get to the final is wonderful recognition and a real credit to all of them and our customers who continue to support The Fox.”

Robbie Starling and his wife, Kelly, have run Garboldisham Post Office and Village Store for more than a decade and said it was an honour to be in the running for their award.

Robbie said: “We were nominated a few years ago for the same one before the pandemic, so we are really grateful to whoever has put us forward again.”

The post office and store is no stranger to accolades, having been voted as one of the top ten village shops in the UK by County Life Magazine in 2019, while being recognised by Breckland Council for its work during the pandemic in helping the village.

On what it shows others about Garboldisham with its pub and store in the finals, Robbie said: “This is a village that ticks all the boxes for its residents, with what we have on our doorsteps.

“Where some villages have lost those things, we have kept them and fully support what we have.”

To vote in the Countryside Alliance Awards, Click here.

Voting for the awards closes on April 1, at midnight.