'A team win' — James Nolan

"It was a great team win for all of us at Nolans," a delighted James Nolan told the Diary this morning as he checked in to the iconic business which won the 'Champion of Champions' title at the Countryside Alliance Awards event this week in the House of Lords, London.

"It was just like being at the Oscars. They read out the nominations, over 30 of them, and then a gold envelope was handed up and opened. As soon as I heard the words 'Republic of Ireland', I knew we had won."

The contestants were the winners of all the categories of the Countryside Alliance Awards over the last ten years, and each were voted on online by the general public. Nolans, which won the 'UK & Ireland Best Butcher Shop' category in 2012, garnered 20 percent of all the votes cast in the 'Champion of Champions' awards.

James and Emma Nolan are pictured above with Mary McCarthy of the Irish Embassy in London, and UK Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Liz Truss MP.