First of all, a massive thank you to everyone who has taken part so far in the Muddy Stiletto Awards this year – we’ve seen an incredible rise of 100% of readers nominating on the Awards compared to last year, so you’re clearly in love with local too!

I’m always a bit conflicted at this point in the Awards. It’s super-fun to discover cool indie businesses, and see which village or town is having its ‘moment’ – Crowthorne and Windsor, looks like it’s you two this year! And  I love telling the excited Finalists they’ve made it through. But there are so many incredible businesses whose journey stops today (though get in touch if you think we should be featuring you anyway – I’m all ears!).

The Finals start and voting opens on Wednesday 15 May at 10am.  They come and go in just 7 days, so if you love a local business and want to give it a pat on the back, head to the Awards site and do your bit before it slips your mind (yeah, I know what you’re like) because the Finalist with the most votes will be crowned Winner.

Right, that’s enough blather from me. Time to meet the Finalists. Congratulations to them all! I’m off to deal with the caffeine jitters.Who gets your vote?

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BEST ART GALLERY

The Base (Greenham Common)

Rhubarb & Custard (Eton)

AntiqArt (Wokingham)

Pineapple Palace (Thatcham)

The Lemongrove Gallery (Reading)

 

BEST BAR

15 Queen Street (Maidenhead)

Ascot Fifty5 (Ascot)

The Taproom (Yattendon)

The Dolphin (Newbury)

The Corn Stores, (Reading)

 

BEST BEAUTY SALON

Calmingales (Yattendon)

Bespoke Beauty (Eton)

The Pink Door (Hungerford)

Saddlestone Spa (Newbury)

Lily Lane Beauty (Crowthorne)

 

BEST BOOKSHOP

The Little Bookshop (Cookham)

Hungerford Bookstore (Hungerford)

Quench (Wokingham)

Shoemakers (Newbury)

Waterstone’s (Reading)

 

BEST BOUTIQUE STAYS

Braywood House (Winkfield)

Bray Cottages (Bray)

Hurley House Hotel (Hurley)

Manor Farm Cottages (Hampstead Norreys)

The Royal Oak (Yattendon)

 

BEST CAFE

The Blackbird Cafe (Bucklebury)

Bakedd (Maidenhead)

Anonymous Coffee House Co. (Reading)

Harrison’s Coffee (Newbury)

Pineapple Cafe (Thatcham)

 

BEST CHILDREN’S BUSINESS

The Little Gym (Windsor)

The Sleepover Party People (Mortimer)

Popsy & Mama (Thatcham)

Bablets (Newbury)

Lots Of Lovely Art (Bucklebury)

 

BEST DAY SPA

Cliveden House Spa (Taplow)

Nirvana Spa (Wokingham)

Thames Lido (Reading)

Natura Spa (Hungerford)

Donnington Valley Spa (Newbury)

 

BEST DELI/ FARM SHOP

Casey’s Fields Farm Shop (Ashampstead)

Saddleback Farm Shop (Brightwalton)

Cobbs Farm Shop & Kitchen (Hungerford)

The Grumpy Goat (Reading)

Deliciously French (Cookham)

 

BEST DESTINATION PUB

The Beehive (White Waltham)

The Hind’s Head (Bray)

The Newbury (Newbury)

The White Oak (Cookham)

The Olde Bell (Hurley)

 

BEST FAMILY ATTRACTION

Bucklebury Farm Park (Bucklebury)

Feathers & Fur Falconry (Twyford)

Liquid Leisure (Datchet)

The Jelly Lounge (Windsor)

Wellington Country Park (Riseley)

 

BEST FITNESS INSTRUCTOR

Anna Cousins, MyFitZone (Reading)

Jo Asplin, Willing Spirit (Bracknell)

Johnny Stokes, JWS Fitness & Wellbeing (Newbury)

Michael Saunders, Ladies Group PT (Reading)

Heidi Strickland-Clark, Fast Track Fitcamp (Wokingham)

 

BEST FLORIST

Black Iris Floral Design (Crowthorne)

Draco Floristry (Newbury)

Lisa Darban Bespoke Florist (Datchet)

Two Little Birds (Bracknell)

Willow & Blooms (Newbury)

 

BEST GIFT SHOP

The Corner Shop (Woolhampton)

Kiki & Bow (Pangbourne)

Vinegar Hill. (Windsor)

Craft Coop (Maidenhead)

Tinkers Gifts (Bracknell)

 

BEST HAIR SALON

Colour By Aimee (Swallowfield)

Gilded Hair (Wokingham)

Nylon Hair Artists (Reading)

Sarah Riggott Hairdressing (Newbury)

 

Rebecca Day Hair (Thatcham)

 

BEST INTERIORS

Ben Heath (Newbury)

Cooper and Cooper (Hungerford)

Field & Hawken (Reading)

Jade Bailey Interiors (Hungerford)

The Little Crow’s Nest (Crowthorne)

 

BEST JEWELLERY STORE

Antique Jewellery Boutique (Hungerford)

Strange The Jeweller (Wokingham)

Jewellery by Rococo (Wokingham)

Thomas William Jewellery (Wokingham)

Jewellery by Emma Roy (Newbury)

 

BEST LOCAL PRODUCER (FOOD/DRINK)

Riverways Farm (Twyford)

Cocoa Ben’s (Newbury)

Cuppies N Cream (Wokingham)

West Berkshire Brewery (Yattendon)

The Cook Curry Club (Knowl Hill)

 

BEST RESTAURANT

Caldesi in Campagna (Bray)

Henry & Joe’s (Newbury)

Cliveden Dining Room (Taplow)

The Waterside Inn (Bray)

The Woodspeen (Newbury)

 

BEST THEATRE

Corn Exchange (Newbury)

Norden Farm (Maidenhead)

South Street Arts Centre (Reading)

The Watermill (Newbury)

Theatre Royal (Windsor)

 

BEST WOMEN’S STORE

B The Lifestyle Shop (Newbury)

Beau Britches (Cookham)

Hope Fashion (Yattendon)

Timpany’s (Sunningdale)

Vanilla Essence Lodge (Wokingham)

 

BEST YOGA/PILATES STUDIO

Abi King, Living Saucha (Newbury)

Stacey Bareham, Oh So Yoga (Aborfield)

Emma Baldwin, Fitness Yoga (Sandhurst)

Gemma Huston, Bootcamp Pilates (Windsor)

Chloe Watts, Inspire Hot Yoga (Maidenhead)

 

BEST PHOTOGRAPHER

Karen Bennett Photography (Brimpton)

Fiona Norman Photography (Maidenhead)

Summers Photography (Bracknell)

Amethyst Photography (Newbury)

Natalie Evans Photography (Windsor)

 

BEST NEWCOMER

Alder Style (Bucklebury)

Colline’s Kitchen (Newbury)

The Colour Palette Salon (Crowthorne)

Sweet Marie’s, Cookham

The Old Boot Inn (Stanford Dingley)