The Muddy Awards drinks 2022 – meet your winners!

Hello from the Muddy team! The best bunch of gals on the planet

Another summer, another clutch of amazing local businesses to celebrate! Last week saw our Muddy Awards’ Winner’s Drinks 2022 close this year’s awards officially, and it was awesome to meet so many inspirational Bucks & Oxon businesses, and hopefully help then on their way to even bigger things.

The Divinity School entrance, part of the Bodleian Library, Oxford

When I started the Awards back in 2013, I used to throw the winners’ party in my garden, after a panicky tidy of my house, a wing and a prayer and a large dose of champers coffee and brownies (the three vitals for human survival). Things have moved on a bit since then! This year, for the first time, the Awards were sponsored nationally by the brilliant Healthily, the award-winning wellbeing app; and we were also thrilled to welcome back our local sponsor Lightfoots Solicitors, based in Thame and Princes Risborough -so pro and approachable that I’ve just used them personally for my will as well as property advice!

Want to see everyone in their glad rags? Watch the vid and then meet some of your worthy winners below …

New Lifestyle start up boys Django’s Smokehouse surround the plaid-shirted winner of Sustainable Business, Oxford Wood Recycling

Women’s Store winners Heidi and Hudson from Gerrards Cross

Pure Couture, Beaconsfield – winners of Best Bridal Boutique

From Wallingford with love: Soirée, winners of Best Bar

Partiers getting in the mood (great effort from the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre gals at the back and the Lightfoots team front left!)

Oxford’s Gulp Fiction – Best Bookshops winners

This year we held the Awards at 15th century Divinity School at the Bodleian Library – surely the most stunning location in Oxford with its gothic architecture and stunning vaulted ceiling. Certainly never thought I’d be delivering a speech from a pulpit – that’s definitely a Muddy first!

The venue has had previously had starring roles two Harry Potter films (Goblet of Fire and Philosopher’s Stone) but – pah! – that’s nothing compared to the shenanigans of a Muddy Awards.

It was difficult to make the venue any more beautiful, but the rustically elegant bouquets by Howe Farm Flowers, based near Waddesdon, managed it. Their season ends at the close of summer, but here’s all the recommendation you need.

Howe Farm Flowers

We were spoilt for food and wine with the brilliant Jericho-based Oxford Wine Company, providing the bubbles…

… and the discreet, professional Oxford Fine Dining presenting dish after beautiful dish of canapés.

And that was even before we got to the goodie bags. Let it not be said that winners go home with a plastic keyring, some leaflets and a packet of Wet Wipes at a Muddy do (we’ve all been to those events, right?). We pulled out the stops with some phenomenal businesses, so a big THANK YOU to the ever classy Levin Wines (vineyards in France, home in Buckinghamshire!), award-winning Oxfordshire-based Skywave Gin , divine Montezuma Chocolates (available on Queen St, Oxford), moorish Fino Olive Oil, based locally in Islip, and the delectable Cakes in Bloom for being so generous with their gifts.

On a personal level, I vow never to leave the house again (erm, in theory) without Wallingford/London-based film MUA Harriet Thorpe – straight off the film set of Barbie, no less – who is my go-to for knocking my hair and make up into shape.

Also a huge thanks to the super-talented and always easy-going Emma Spellman, filmmaker at Oojamaflick and photographer Ellie Walpole, both long standing Muddy friends, who are always our first call when videos and posing are required (often!).

Dearly beloved: yes, I really am doing my speech from a pulpit

Finally, a sincere SUPER-THANK-YOU-LOVE-BOMB from me to all of you who took showed your support and love for local businesses in Bucks & Oxon this year – it’s your passion and involvement that continues to make our Awards so different, personal and relevant to our communities.

All that remains is to remind you of your worthy champions across Bucks & Oxon for 2022. Print off the list, work your way through them and enjoy!

Hero x

Muddy Stilettos Bucks & Oxon Awards winners

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