TWO eating places already judged best in their counties are hoping to take home prestigious regional titles tonight (Friday).

Malvern's Cottage in the Wood restaurant and Mrs Muffin's Tea Shop in Ledbury have both been shortlisted for the finals of the Heart of England Food and Drink Excellence Awards.

The Cottage in the Wood has already been judged Best Restaurant in Worcestershire, while Mrs Muffin's was named Herefordshire's Best Tea Room in the first round of the Heart of England Tourist Board-organised competition.

They will be up against entries from across the Midlands in the awards, which are part of the East Midlands Food and Drink Festival, at Bolsover Castle, in Derbyshire.