Last updated 14:52, Wednesday, 27 August 2008

A NORTH west supermarket chain has been shortlisted for two wine awards in an international competition being announced next week.

The International Wine Challenge Awards 2008 is the wine world's equivalent of the Oscars and Booths, which has stores in Ulverston, Windermere and Kirkby Lonsdale has been shortlisted for the North West England Regional Merchant of the Year and Supermarket of the Year categories.

The award was open to supermarkets, agents, on-trade suppliers, mail order, on-line, independent and high street retailers.

Booths Wine Buyer Sally Holloway said: “It’s a great tribute to all the staff at Booths who work hard in the stores to ensure our wine offering is of the highest standard and that we are providing our customers with a good range of quality wines.”

More than 800 guests from the UK wine trade plus international producers and winemakers will attend the glittering International Wine Challenge Awards Dinner at the Grosvenor Hotel on September 3, where the winners will be revealed.

Last month Booths revealed a 30 per cent profit increase on the previous year’s figure of £6.9m.

The supermarket chain also recorded a four per cent increase in sales to £243m on 2007/08.