ANTI-supermarket campaigner Lady Caroline Cranbrook has been crowned Oldie Campaigner of the Year at a star-studded event in London.

SUFFOLK: Anti-supermarket campaigner Lady Caroline Cranbrook has been crowned Oldie Campaigner of the Year at a star-studded event in London.

Lady Cranbrook scooped the prize at the annual Oldie magazine awards.

She took her prize alongside actress Joanna Lumley, who took the 2010 Oldie of the Year title for “relentless efforts and continuing campaigning for the Gurkhas”.

Radio presenter Terry Wogan, Chris Mullin MP, illustrator Quentin Blake and author P D James also picked up awards.

Lady Cranbrook, vice-president of the Suffolk branch of the Country Land and Business Association, was given a framed cartoon depicting all the winners, for her campaigns against “inappropriately large supermarkets in small market towns” and her work with Suffolk County Council and the Suffolk Development Agency to develop a local food distribution hub in Suffolk.

“The ceremony was certainly glittering with numerous celebrities present,” she said.

“I sat next to Peter O'Toole who tidied up my hair - which was falling down, as usual - before I went to collect the award and make my acceptance speech. Opposite me was Ian Hislop, editor of Private Eye.

“I was pleased to get the award because it acknowledges the importance of maintaining local suppliers against the threat of big business. In my acceptance speech, I took the opportunity to highlight the need to support local foods and asked everyone present to remember to Just Ask where their food comes from whenever they were eating out.”

The latest accolade follows an award from BBC Radio 4, which crowned her Food Programme Campaigner of the Year. She was awarded the OBE for services to the red meat industry and last year was a guest on Desert Island Discs.