LAW and lettuce are going head-to-head in a race to find the county's best boss.

Strood solicitor Jan Stanton, of Stanton's Solicitors, is up against Andrew Boakes of Southern Salads, Tonbridge, in a new category of the Kent Business Awards-Best Boss Of The Year.

The new accolade, sponsored by Business Link Kent, aims to reward people making a real difference in their organisation.

With no men in contention for the Kent Businessman or Businesswoman of the Year, sponsored by Invicta FM, the ladies will make it a clean sweep.

The accolade will go to either Judy Behl, managing director of Scenic Blue in Faversham or Alison Williams, managing director of FDS, Whitstable.

Judges met recently to consider their verdicts and announced a number of finalists who will learn their fate at a gala dinner-Kent's business night of the year-in the Saga Pavilion at Sandgate, near Folkestone, on June 17.

Businesses of all sizes from across the county are competing for the 12 trophies on offer.

In another new category for 2004, the Port Of Dover Tourism Award, a previous award winner The Hop Farm Country Park in Beltring competes with the Museum of Kent Life in Maidstone.

The Hop Farm Country Park is hoping to make it a double by also winning the Rural Business Award, sponsored by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA). But it faces a tough challenge from The Hop Shop at Castle Farm in Shoreham, near Sevenoaks.

SEEDA is also sponsoring the 119 Regeneration Areas Business Award for Kent. Short-listed companies are Chatham Historic Dockyard and Surin Restaurant, Ramsgate..

Faversham brewery Shepherd Neame, a past winner, and its IT partner Telebria will slug it out with Acceleron of Whitstable for the Technology Award sponsored by Fidelity Investments.

Vying for the Small Business Award, also sponsored by Business Link, is Frog Creation in East Sutton and MC Personnel in Gillingham.

Hospice in the Weald, Pembury, and East Kent Cyrenians, Canterbury, an organisation offering help to single, homeless people, are competing for the Voluntary Sector trophy backed by Pfizer.

MCCH Society, Maidstone, and Sure Start, Sheerness, are competing for a new award of Outstanding Provider Of Social Care, sponsored by Kent County Council Social Services.

Eurotunnel, the Channel Tunnel operator, and PAB Electronics in Margate are competing for the Employability award supported by The Learning & Skills Council for Kent and Medway.

Southern Salads and Ward Security, last year's winner of the Medway Small Business Awards, are finalists in the Success Through Investors In People Award sponsored by Business Link.

Five finalists are chasing two trophies presented to the Kent County Council Company of the Year.

Finalists in the category for 100 employees and over include Abbott Laboratories, Queenborough, Holiday Extras, Newingreen, near Hythe, and Thames Fruit, Rainham.

Company of the Year finalists with fewer than 100 employees are Chaucer Group, Canterbury, and Hallmark Fire, Rochester.

Table reservations for the gala dinner available by ringing Caroline Thorpe on 01273 207155.