TWO of the county’s companies are in the running to be crowned as the UK’s best rural business.

The businesses are Owd Barn at Bispham, from Ormskirk, which has been shortlisted for best rural diversification project, and Wild Fox Distillery, based in Preston, which has been shortlisted for best rural drink.

Both will now be heading to the final of the 2020/21 Rural Business Awards.

Owd Barn is a traditional tearoom with locally-sourced products which offer customers a range of traditional homemade farmhouse meals, cakes, and ice creams, along with tea and fresh ground coffee.

Wild Fox Distillery are fourth-generation farmers who have diversified into a gin crafting business, with each bottle developed, harvested and labelled by the distillery.