Manchester's largest organic wholefoods store, Unicorn Grocery, has just been named Best Local Food Retailer at Radio 4's prestigious annual Food and Farming Awards. Out of thousands of nominations, the worker co-operative came out on top.

Sheila Dillon, who presented the awards, said that, in the current climate, they wanted to choose a business that was making a real impact on their communities, offering sustainable alternatives and a model for the future. She commented that Unicorn provides 'some of the UK's freshest and cheapest produce'.

Co-operatives are leading the way in this year's Countryside Alliance Awards, with two worker co-operatives, a consumer co-operative and five community-owned village shops making the final. The awards celebrate the unsung heroes of our rural communities.