INDEPENDENT traders are at the heart of Knutsford's local communities and with the ongoing cost of living crisis they’re struggling.

It’s not easy running your own business, juggling increasing overheads, big company competition and a move away from town and city centre high streets and local communities to online shopping.

So we want to show Knutsford small business owners some love and celebrate the best the town has to offer.

Make your favourite independent’s day by nominating them for our Best Independent Shop award and join the #ukindieday celebrations.

Independents’ Week will run across the UK from Sunday, June 27 until Sunday, July 3 in a bid to support and promote independent retail businesses.

With independent businesses accounting for around 65% of retail outlets in the UK, it’s a sector that has been hit hard with the ongoing cost of living crisis.

Do you have a local butcher who you visit each week to buy your family’s meat?

Which of Knutsford's florists do you place an order with each Mother’s Day?

When you want to buy something quirky or unusual for a friend’s birthday, where in the town would you go?

How about an outfit for that special occasion that you don’t want to discover is exactly the same as someone else’s?

In our Best of 2022 campaign, we’ve given out eight awards in the region for hair, nails, beauty and fitness as well as pies, pubs, fish and chips and breakfast.

Lissie Wright Hair, The Beauty Spot and Sharon Power together with JD’s Café, Winsford Fryer, Oakwood Marina and The Lion have all been crowned winners in their respective categories.

Voting is currently taking place in Best for Afternoon Tea in the region with the closing date midnight on Monday.

This week, we want to celebrate independent shops and businesses and the overall winner will be decided by you, our readers.

HOW IT WORKS: 

Each Friday morning we will reveal new categories via our social media pages and ask you who is the best. Nominations close each Monday morning at 12pm.

Then each Thursday we will publish a shortlist of finalists with voting officially opening.

You will be able to vote in one of three ways:

- By commenting under the relevant post on our Knutsford Guardian, Northwich Guardian and Winsford and Middlewich Guardian Facebook pages = 1 vote

- By entering via the online article on our Knutsford Guardian, Northwich Guardian and Winsford and Middlewich Guardian websites = 2 votes

- By entering via our Knutsford Guardian, Northwich Guardian and Winsford and Middlewich Guardian newspapers = 5 votes

The following Wednesday evening we will announce the winner of that category on social media.

They will then be entered into the running for our overall Simply The Best award at the end of the competition.

Usual Newsquest competition rules apply.

For more details go to newsquest.co.uk/terms

To make your nomination go to facebook.com/knutsfordguardiannews, facebook.com/winsfordandmiddlewichguardian or facebook.com/Northwichguardian or alternatively you can email your nomination, telling us the name of your favourite independent shop or business and why they deserve to be shortlisted, to heidi.summerfield@newsquest.co.uk