The 2023 Living Countryside Awards

We are delighted to announce the shortlisted entrants for each of the three categories in this year’s Living Countryside Awards.

Made in Bedfordshire

This category champions local food, drink and crafts, recognising local producers of food, drink, arts and crafts who through their work, either directly or indirectly enhance the rural environment and the rural economy.

Shortlisted entrants

• Aragon Lacemakers (countywide plus current exhibition at The Higgins)
• Hay Lane Flowers (Stagsden)
• Hillside Market Garden (Gravenhurst)
• Morgan Pell Meats (North Bedfordshire)
• Thatching in Bedfordshire (Chris Dodson Thatcher)
• Warden Abbey Vineyard (Old Warden)

Grassroots and green shoots

This category celebrates community action and volunteering, it recognises community groups and projects that are making a difference to the natural environment and the community in which they are based.

Shortlisted entrants

• Dunstable Wombles
• Edible High Town (Luton)
• Inclusive Farm (Steppingley)
• Save Steppingley Road Field (Flitwick)
• SHARE: Flitwick and Ampthill
• Windsor Drive Community Open Space (Houghton Regis)

Keep it wild

This category celebrates projects that nurture nature, recognising groups that are working to improve biodiversity

Shortlisted entrants

• Barton Hill Farm (Lilley)
• Bradgers Hill Wilder Futures (Luton)
• Friends of Harrold-Odell Country Park
• Friends of Studham Common (Luton)
• Mowsbury Hillfort (Bedford)
• Putnoe Wood (Bedford)

Bedfordshire Choice

Alongside the three categories we will be repeating 2021’s popular Bedfordshire Choice award. This award goes to the project that best promotes a living and thriving countryside as chosen by the people of Bedfordshire.  You can read more about all the shortlisted entrants here.

What happens next?

Voting in the Bedfordshire Choice award closed on 30th June 2023. The formal judging process for the three category awards took place in June. The results will be announced in July.

Each project will be judged against their application form where we asked for:

• A project description which should show how the project meets the criteria for its category.
• Some information that shows how the project is making a positive difference in the community or beyond.
• Any supporting material – e.g. photographs, video, drawings, plans.

Previous entrants could enter again but needed to show us how their project has developed since their last entry or be entering a new project (e.g. a new site or product)

Each shortlisted entry will also receive a site visit from our team of judges so that they can see the project first hand.