An ENVIRONMENTALLY-friendly grocery store has caught the attention of a national awards competition because of its pledge to cut out plastic.

Ulverston’s zero-waste supermarket Cut The Wrap has been shortlisted for an ethical business of the year award by the Federation of Small Businesses.

The category is highly competitive, with more than 150 of the most innovative and successful small firms in the country considered for the prize.

Owners Cat and Paul Moffatt,established the business six months ago after watching a Blue Planet documentary on television which inspired them to reduce their carbon footprint.

The grocery store operates on a complete plastic-free basis, with customers choosing how much of a product they want to buy – and in what container.

Cat said: “The award has completely taken us aback. Some of the other shortlisted businesses have been trading for a lot longer and are well-established – we are the total underdog, which is brilliant!

“This is a bit of recognition for all the hard work we put into the business but we love it.”

Cut The Wrap is up against prestigious ethical giants SE Recycling and Crowberry Consulting.

Mrs Moffatt said: “We’re absolutely chuffed to be included especially because we’re such a relatively new business.”

The family chose a rural market town to set up shop over a potentially more profitable city due to their love of the community.

Mrs Moffatt said: “We live in Ulverston and are invested in the community.

“If we were thinking in a purely business mindset we would’ve picked somewhere else, but we feel part of the Ulverston fabric so it made sense to open shop here.”

She added that winning would be a “huge boost” for the couple’s morale as well as a great personal achievement.

“It would be so lovely to have all this hard work paid off and a win would encourage us to keep going.”

The awards ceremony takes place in Manchester on January 31.