FANNY'S Farm has been crowned the best local shop in the UK.

The iconic Merstham business was nominated by holiday makers and finally selected for the top spot following a visit from mystery shoppers.

The farm shop's owner Fanny Maiklem now plans to spend her prize money on new uniforms for her staff, as a thank you for their hard graft.

She said: "So far we have decided on nice rugby shirts to keep them warm and some polo shirts for the summer. The current uniforms have needed replacing for ages and it is time the staff had something new."

The Markedge Lane shop – which has been in business since 1979 – was selected by leading holiday letting agency Cottages4You as the Best Local Shop in the UK.

The company called on holidaymakers throughout 2011 to nominate independent businesses for their Go Local Guide, and sent a mystery shopper to confirm the choice.

As a reward for winning, Mrs Maiklem received a £1,000 grant which she has selflessly split between the twelve staff who work in the gardens, cafe and shop. As well as the uniforms, the winnings will enable the purchase of a laptop.

"We will use the laptop to try and modernise a little," Mrs Maiklem said. "We have someone who manages our Facebook and Twitter sites but it would be nice to have a go ourselves."

The farm shop sells fresh fruit and vegtables grown on site, as well as gifts, and is known for its garden tree house party venue.

The award praised the shop's welcoming staff, particularly Mrs Maiklem herself and her florist daughter Nellie Budd, as well as the high quality of produce grown and the money raised for charities including the Air Ambulance Trust.

Bill Gibb, chief reporter at The Sunday Post and award judge said: "It took a lot of time and consideration to pick between the contenders in this category; there were some truly outstanding candidates. However, Fanny's Farm Shop is a fantastic part of its local community with a mouth-watering choice of tasty goods, friendly staff and a lovely tree house which makes it worth going out of your way to visit."

For more on Fanny's Farm turn to this weeks go!