A TOTAL of 14 Somerset businesses and individuals have ensured the county has a big impact on the shortlist for the biggest awards contest for small businesses in the South West.

The regional FSB Celebrating South West Small Business Awards, which will culminate in a final in Weston-super-Mare in March, has seen a near record-breaking amount of entries across 12 categories for individual business owners and SMEs. And Somerset has secured the second most nominations in the region.

The businesses shortlisted from Somerset are Space Adventurers (Taunton); Torre Cider (Washford, Watchet); Little Adventures Nurseries of Bridgwater; Ocean Adventurers of Cheddar; Top of the Clops (Wellington); Hub Weston/The Stable (Weston-super-Mare); Habitat Aid Ltd (Bruton); S F Enterprises (Yeovil); Hullabaloos Lemonade (Loxton); New Leaf Design (Taunton); Myles Bates-Durbin of Bates Product Design in Weston-super-Mare; Petruth Paddocks of Cheddar; Donate IT CC of Wincanton; and Enhanced Primary Care from Street, which has earned three nominations.

The county’s nominees will hope to follow in the footsteps of Little Adventures from Worle, which scooped the title as FSB South West Start Up Business of the Year in 2022 and Weston’s Poppadoms Indian Takeaway, which won the special Community Award last year.

FSB South West regional chairman Lee Nathan said that the standard of entries was "exceptional" and he expected some fantastic winners to be unveiled at the regional final.

He added: "Every year we are both amazed and delighted to see the quality and quantity of South West businesses who enter our awards.

"It is further proof, if any was needed, that this region is an exceptional one for innovative, creative and progressive small businesses.”