Three local food businesses have been shortlisted as finalists in the south west regional final of the Countryside Alliance Awards.

Poulshot Lodge Farm Shop is in the local food category, while Rowdey Cow cafe and ice cream parlour is in the start-up category and Country Butchers is in the butcher category. They are all up against three other finalists in their category.

Andy Hobbs, manager of Country Butchers, in Little Brittox, Devizes, said: “It’s a good achievement. We are voted for by our customers.”

The shop, owned by butcher Daniel Curtis, has been open almost three years and the number of staff has grown from two to five, including an apprentice.

Mr Hobbs said: “We do traditional butchery with a modern twist. We don’t wear sterile white jackets, we have jokes on our blackboard and we have music on in the shop.”

Poulshot Lodge Farm Shop, owned by the Hues family of farmers, opened in July 2010 selling its own home-reared beef as well as locally-sourced pork, lamb and poultry. As well as meats the shop sells fruit, vegetables, eggs, cheeses, chutneys and bread from local producers.

Rowdey Cow, at Lower Farm, Rowde, run by Sue Thompson, opened almost two years ago and uses the milk produced by her father, Adrian White’s dairy cows to make gelato, Italian style ice cream. The ice cream parlour has 30 different flavours. The cafe sells hot food.