GLYN Slade Jones Family Butchers of Kington is the best butcher's business in the South West of England.

They beat two other leading butchers, Gerald David and Family of Ipplepen, Devon, and Complete Meats of Axminster, to win the area final of the prestigious national competition to find Britain's best butcher's shop.

The top 18 butchers' shops in Britain were chosen for this year's Top Shop awards, organised by the meat industry's newspaper, the Meat Trades Journal.

Three shops in each of six areas of the country made up the 18 finalists and at an Oscars-style awards luncheon at the Dorchester Hotel in London, six area winners were named along with the overall winner, Eastwoods of Berkhamsted. The Wales winner was Eynon's of St Clears.

Each shop through to the final was visited by judges who assessed the quality of the meat on sale, the neatness, courtesy and efficiency of the staff, the cleanliness and hygiene of the shop, and the shop's marketing, promotion and business plan.