The organisation, which runs annual awards to find the best businesses in rural Britain, announced last week it had given the Skelton on Ure shop first prize in the Yorkshire village shop/ post office category for 2008.

'stunned'

Helen Metcalfe, who has owned the business for nearly three years, said: "I was utterly stunned. We never expected it and to find out we'd won came as a surprise."

The 41-year-old, who previously worked as a manager for a fast-food restaurant in Knaresborough, said: "Before buying the business, I had never done anything like this before in my life.

"It's hard work but it's good fun and such a buzz. Every day is full of laughter."

Since taking over the post office and shop, Mrs Metcalfe has steadily increased the range of items on sale to include homebaked products, pies, pasties, plants, basic household items and newspapers.

"I will never be Morrisons," she said, "but, as the saying goes, 'you have got to speculate to accumulate'. You can't run a business if you don't sell anything."

personal service

Mrs Metcalfe also believes the personal service offered by the shop is one of the reasons why it has won the award for best in the county.

"The ladies from the Countryside Alliance who visited us said it's not the shop, it's the person behind the counter who makes the difference," she said.

Mrs Metcalfe is willing to go that extra mile for her customers so, for example, if she hasn't seen a neighbour in her shop for a while she will check the person is okay or if someone is too ill to visit the shop, she may send her daughters, Alice and Emily, round with some items.

"The villagers have taken me to their hearts and I have taken them to mine," said Mrs Metcalfe, whose mother, June Weatherill, also works in the shop.

Mrs Metcalfe is now looking forward to attending a House of Lords reception dinner in London next month where the national winners will be announced.

'once in a lifetime'

"It's a once in a lifetime event. If I'm lucky enough to get the prize for best rural post office/ shop in the country, we'll get a plaque to go on the outside wall of the shop," she said.

For more information about the awards, visit
www.countryside-alliance.org