A small business that has reached the finals of the Cumbria Family Business Awards is doing its best to save its small corner of the planet.

The Moody Cow in Allonby opened as a small farm shop a year ago and is now a thriving shop and café.

It has been shortlisted in the Agriculture, Forestry and Farming category of the countywide business awards scheme, with the winners due to be announced on March 9

And its owners are demonstrating that they take their responsibility to the environment seriously.

The business is encouraging cyclists and walkers to stop a few minutes and drink their tea and coffee on the premises, using crockery rather than take-out plastic cups. It is sourcing biodegradable straws and only providing them to customers if asked.

Cyclists and walkers will be able to fill water bottles at the café and shop rather than having to buy new plastic bottles. The business also offers milk in glass bottles rather than plastic containers.

Owner Clare Hetherington, who also runs Blue Dial Farm and Blue Dial Caravan Park with husband Joseph, said: “We have always been keen to protect the environment.

“We encourage customers at the caravan park to recycle and we also plan to invite them and members of the public to regular beach cleans during the year.

“It won’t take much effort and is something that we can do.”

Taking another large step in reducing their carbon footprint, the couple are using cow slurry – a mixture of manure and water – to meet their electricity needs.

Clare said: “We have bought an anaerobic digestor plant which will convert the slurry into electricity. We installed it last year and it is getting near to running at capacity. We hope it will eventually provide enough energy for us to run the farm and caravan park.

“Joseph is the third generation of his family on this farm and our sons Joseph, 16, and Jack, 11, come after us. We want to create a successful business but also take care of this land.”