Barnston Estate shortlisted in Rural Business Awards

The Barnston Estate, one of Cheshire’s oldest family estates, is in the running to be named as one of the best rural businesses in the UK after being shortlisted for a Rural Business Award.

The private estate, which consists of 1,800 acres in and around the villages of Farndon, Churton and Hapsford in rural Cheshire, has been shortlisted for The Sustainability and Environmental Impact Award.

The Rural Business Awards, held in partnership with Amazon, celebrate the success of businesses across the UK’s rural economy. The Barnston Estate will battle it out against fellow rural businesses, entrepreneurs and enterprises from across the country for the chance to be named a national winner.

The Barnston Estate is managed by Ed Barnston and comprises a wide range of residential and commercial properties as well as dairy farming, forestry and renewable energy. It is also due to open Monument Meadow Natural Burial Ground in Farndon in 2021.

Ed was awarded the RASE Bledisloe Gold Medal for Landowners and is one of only 20 people each year in the UK to be awarded a Nuffield Farming Scholarship.

He has started to implement his scholarship learnings and, as well as developing a 10-year environmental strategy, has recently produced a comprehensive natural capital audit of the Estate’s soil, air, water, woods and biodiversity.

He said: “Our goal is to maintain a family legacy dating back many hundreds of years, and to grow and modernise the business so that we can hand it over with pride to the next generation.

“We are passionate about managing the Estate in harmony with the Triple Bottom Line philosophy of balancing people, planet and profit, creating value for the local community while being environmentally sustainable and financially viable.

“Being a finalist in the Rural Business Awards is a lovely acknowledgement that the work we started two years ago is the right approach.”

Director and Co-Founder of The Rural Business Awards, Jemma Clifford, said: “This year has been an unprecedented challenge for businesses across the country but we have still had a fantastic amount of entries from rural businesses, showing the true determination of people working in the rural economy.

“At the Rural Business Awards we remain committed to our vision of showcasing the fantastic work of rural businesses and believe that it has never been more important than now. On behalf of the RBA team, we want to say well done to the Barnston Estate, and all the shortlisted businesses, and wish them luck ahead of the national final.”

The Rural Business Awards is the brainchild of Leicestershire businesswomen Anna Price and Jemma Clifford, who wanted to showcase the wealth of entrepreneurial talent in rural areas of Britain.

The Awards are organised by rural business for rural business, with winners in the 13 categories - ranging from Best Rural Start-up and Best Rural Diversification Project through to Best Rural Professional Services Business and Best Rural Innovation - decided by an independent panel of judges drawn from the rural business sector, rural public sector agencies, and rural charitable organisations.

The Rural Business Awards will be hosting an online National Final on Thursday 25th February 2021.

To find out more about the Barnston Estate, visit www.barnstonestate.com or to learn more about the Rural Business Awards visit www.ruralbusinessawards.co.uk

Pictured - Ed & Kate Trevor-Barnston