Businesses from across west Dorset have picked up the top gong for being the best at what they do.
Now in its 11th year, the hotly contested 2024 Muddy Stilettos Regional Awards have been announced with four independent west Dorset businesses winning the coveted lifestyle crowns in the Dorset, Somerset and Bristol regional awards.
Readers of the award-winning lifestyle website Muddy Stilettos have been nominating and voting in their hundreds of thousands for their favourite independent businesses across 21 different lifestyle categories.
Brassica Mercantile was named the best ‘Best Lifestyle Store’ for its shop in Beaminster which stocks a wide range of organic, local, and European provisions, meat, cheese and wine.
The kitchen at Brassica Restaurant also provides the shop with ready meals, pasta sauces, feast boxes and suppers for two; all available for collection or local delivery.
Louise Chidgey, one of the owners of Brassica Mercantile, said: “We are thrilled to win the Muddy Stilettos award.
“It’s a great showcase for all the hard-working independents across the south west.
“We continually aim to source interesting products which would be hard to find anywhere else, alongside the food and organic wine offer we sell and the Brassica Handmade ready meals we produce down in Bridport at Brassica Forno.
“It’s great to get the exposure for Beaminster which is a fabulous town with so much to offer.”
Elsewhere across the region Jurassic Properties in Lyme Regis has won the award for ‘Best Boutique Stay’ for its impressive holiday lets.
A statement from the family run business expressed their delight at winning the award.
It said: “We’re thrilled and incredibly grateful for all the support we received from you during the voting - it means a lot and is hugely appreciated.
“A special mention also to those that support us seven days a week to help us do what we do, they aren’t on Instagram but without them we’d be non-existent."
Station Kitchen in West Bay scooped the top award for ‘Best Restaurant’.
The seafood establishment was 'absolutely chuffed' to win the award and priased their hard working staff.
A spokesperson for the restaurant said: “The award means so much to the team and ourselves, especially during these challenging times within the hospitality industry currently.
"We’re extremely blessed to have an incredible team 'on board' who have been with us for many years and give their all in what they do.
"We are of course also incredibly lucky to have such wonderful, loyal customers who have supported us for many years.
"We won Muddy back in 2021 and it did wonders for our business, in addition with securing our 2 rosettes again for a second year running, we are all celebrating."
In Bridport, Seal’s Cove also won the ‘Family Attraction’ award for its indoor adventure soft play and climbing for children.
Christopher Seal, Seal’s Cove manager said, “Everyone at Seal’s Cove was thrilled when Muddy Stilettos announced that we had won ‘Best Family Attraction in the South West’.
"It was made even more special as it was a public vote.
"Congratulations to all the fabulous and well deserving winners in our region.
"We have been open less than two years but, in that time, the team have worked tirelessly to provide a unique environment full of adventure and fun.
"We’d like to thank everyone who voted for us and who have enjoyed our fantastic soft play areas and state of the art climbing centre.
"But we are not stopping there. We’re in the process of finalising a spectacular and unique new area of Seal’s Cove that I think is really going to wow people – watch this space.”
All regional winners in Dorset, Somerset & Bristol, along with winners from the other Muddy counties, will automatically go through to the 2024 National Awards and five businesses in each category will be picked by the Muddy Stilettos Editors to go through to the National Finals, with the ‘Best of the Best’ Winners crowned in July 2024.
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