Award-winning blog Muddy Stilettos has just celebrated the best of Herts with the Muddy Herts Awards, designed to support, encourage and celebrate the very best lifestyle businesses in the county.

A number of independents in our area have been voted the best in the business at what they do.

Brand new Hitchin business Vintage Bay won Best Gift Shop. Haelan Therapy, also in Hitchin, won Best Complementary Therapy Centre, Letchworth’s David’s Bookshop won Best Bookshop, and in Baldock, Gallery 1066 scooped the award for Best Gallery.

A delighted Vintage Bay owner Amy Welch told the Comet: “The support for my little shop since I launched in Hitchin six months ago has been overwhelming.

“As a small independent business I’m over the moon at the award. A big thank you to everyone.”

In the category Best Family Attraction, the winner was Ickleford’s Hitchin Lavender.

Muddy Stilettos is the ‘urban guide to the countryside’, celebrating the interesting, quirky and unmissable things to do in the area – from destination pubs to romantic getaways, cool kids theatre to pop-up supper clubs.

Muddy Stilettos Herts launched in 2015 and its editor since January 2017 is Sandra Deeble.

She told the Comet: “I’m absolutely delighted by the amount of talent and creativity in Hertfordshire.

“When people say to me that the ‘high street’ is bland and full of chain store I tell them that they should come up to Hertfordshire to see that is not the case.

“Muddy Stilettos is proud to support independent businesses.”

She added: “The ethos of Muddy Stilettos is all about celebrating quality, so to win a Muddy Stilettos Award is real achievement.

“Importantly it gives often overlooked lifestyle businesses a much-needed platform from which to grow, and unlike many other Awards, is totally free to enter.”

For more information visit https://herts.muddystilettos.co.uk/about/