Kirstie Allsopp reveals the winners of the Britain’s Best Antiques Shops Awards

Television presenter Kirstie Allsopp and Antiques Roadshow expert Mark Hill revealed the five winning businesses, from shops and vintage emporia to antiques centres and auction houses, at an awards ceremony at the Bath Decorative & Antiques Fair. Allsopp, Channel 4’s property and interiors expert, has been a firm supporter of the awards, which champion these unsung heroes of the high street.

Britain’s Best Antiques Shops 2012 Award winners

•    Best antiques shop: Blighty Antiques, Cheltenham
•    Best specialist shop: Christopher Clarke Antiques, Stow on the Wold
•    Best vintage/midcentury shop: Nanadobbie, Brighton
•    Best auction house: McTear’s Auctioneers, Glasgow
•    Best antiques centre: Hungerford Arcade, Hungerford

The Britain’s Best Antiques Shops Awards were launched in the November 2011 issue of Homes & Antiques magazine to tie in with National Antiques Week. Readers and members of the public were invited to nominate their favourite antiques businesses in one of five categories: Best antiques shop; Best antiques centre; Best specialist shop; Best vintage/midcentury shop; and Best auction house.

A shortlist of 25 antiques businesses from across the country was announced in the March issue of Homes & Antiques. The five winning businesses will be profiled in the May issue of the magazine, on sale 5 April.

Angela Linforth, Editor of Homes & Antiques, commented: “Here at Homes & Antiques, we never cease to be excited by the intriguing, beautiful things we find at antiques shops and auctions up and down the country. The awards celebrate these high street heroes, and we hope they will encourage many more people to pop into their local antiques stores and see what they can find.”

Gail McLeod, Editor of Antiques News and Fairs and organiser of National Antiques Week said: “I have been delighted with the response to this campaign, launched last November in National Antiques Week, to raise the profile of this heritage industry and its fantastic green credentials. The general public have voted in their thousands to give their favourite dealer or auctioneer a chance to win a coveted award.”


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