A COWDENBEATH funeral director has been voted the best in Fife at a prestigious award-giving day in Edinburgh.

Colin Sneddon Funeral Directors were last week crowned Fife’s best after being anonymously nominated back in March.

The award is made even more special for Colin given that the business was only launched last February as the pandemic began to grip the country.

Speaking to the Times, Colin said the award came as a shock. Describing the win, he said: “It feels absolutely brilliant, but it came as a bit of a shock if I’m honest because we only started as a business in February 2020.

“We were nominated in March, although they don’t tell you who has nominated you, and actually I thought it might have been a scam,” Colin joked.

“We were then contacted to invite us to Norton House Hotel in Edinburgh for the awards ceremony and were announced as the winners”

The awards panel look at a whole host of areas when deciding on a winner, including their social media, competitions they run as well as reviews that customers leave, which for Colin are all five star.

He continued: “They look at what you’re doing for your community and if you do work for charity, which is something we do anyway.

“I don’t know what we do different [to others in Fife], I just do what I think I should be doing, but we did get a therapy dog about six weeks ago which we thought outside of the box on.”

The therapet, named Maggie, has been such a hit in the shop that Colin said people have been coming in just to see her instead of him and his staff – although he is glad she is helping people regardless of the reason.

Giving thanks to those who helped the award be possible, Colin said: “A big thank you to Joolie Martin and Abby McIntosh who were involved in helping me set the business up at the start and without their wisdom and perseverance in putting up with me, this might not have happened.

“And to my awesome arranger Kelly O'Neil McGovern who keeps the ideas coming and more and, most of all, all the local families and beyond for using us and putting their trust in us to give their loved ones the perfect send off. Without you this wouldn’t be possible.”

Colin added that anyone who wishes to pop in to the store, which is situated on Station Road, Cowdenbeath, is welcome to do so, even if just for a chat and to see Maggie.

On Friday, September 24, there will be a bake sale at the shop between 10am and 2pm to raise money CHAS.