THERE might not have been the usual glitz and glam of an award ceremony, but this year’s Winchester Business Excellence Awards was no less prestigious for the winners.

Now in its 20th year, the awards are organised in partnership by The Hampshire Chronicle, Hampshire Chamber of Commerce and Winchester BID and were open to businesses within the Winchester District to recognise their achievements.

And as you’ll see from reading their reaction firms were delighted to have won the much-respected accolades.

Business Leader - Steven Northam, IncuHive

“I am very honoured to have won the Business Leader award this year, having won the Start-Up Business Award in 2008 and Entrepreneur of the Year in 2014, this completes the hattrick and demonstrates the support the Winchester business community have given me from day one when I first started out on my business adventures”

Digital Innovation - Ridge and Partners LLP

Richard Hand, Winchester office managing partner, said: “Ridge is delighted to have been successful in the digital innovation award; we always strive for the best use of technology in all that we do, our fire safety model is already making a real difference, both in reducing costs and making buildings safer, which is a rare combination and one that we are very proud of.”

Large Business - Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists Ltd

David Walker, director and head of internal medicine, said: “We are honoured to have been named the Large Business Winner and Overall Winner by the Winchester Business Excellence Awards 2020 panel. The awards are testament to the hard work and dedication of the whole Anderson Moores team over what has been an incredibly challenging year for everyone.”

New Business - OMU (Orthodontic Mobile Unit)

Emma White, CEO and founder, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be the 2020 winners of the Winchester Business Excellence awards in the new business category. The amazing response to OMU, the UK’s first Orthodontic Mobile Unit is phenomenal.

“We’re proud to be revolutionising dental care by taking orthodontics to schools in Hampshire and the surrounding counties.

“We’re now also parking our bus across the county every weekend to provide local communities with hygiene and orthodontic appointments.

“A big thank you to everyone for all their continued support going into 2021.”

Service Excellence - Pretty Woman Beauty Salon

Owner and beauty therapist Selina Jogaloo said: “PW Beauty are delighted to have won the Service Excellence award at the Winchester Business Awards. The PW Team have worked incredibly hard to ensure our policies, procedures and environment are hygienic and safe, whilst not compromising on luxury treatments and indulgence.

“Making our clients look and feel great is at the heart of everything we do. In these challenging times the need for self-care and reflection has never been more important, and we are grateful to be able to offer some solace and comfort where we can.

“I’d like to thank the PW Team who have adapted to each new challenge faced this year whilst, not compromising on exceptional service and customer experience.”

Social Enterprise - Blue Apple Theatre

Simon Morris, general manager at Blue Apple, said: "Everybody at Blue Apple is thrilled to have won the social enterprise award this year. We are a real team of dedicated people from our trustees to all our participants, including our staff and volunteers and of course our extended team of freelance arts professionals that we work with, and everyone has pulled together to ensure our programme has continued to shine bright even for everyone in this difficult year. It’s wonderful to receive this recognition and we are really grateful for everyone’s support."

Sustainable Business - Alfred's Brewery

Brewer Steve Haigh said: "We have tried to incorporate sustainability into all aspects of the business, an ongoing process that felt like extra workload when we first started in 2012 but very much second nature now. There is always something further that we can do to improve but it is certainly becoming easier to achieve. We are finding suppliers are offering greener solutions, certainly in packaging. Locally we have found great partners in Zedify for zero emission deliveries to our shop customers, and Ecogen who recycle our cardboard, and plastic shrink wrap protecting the raw materials that we make the beer with. For anyone looking for inspiration to do more, I would definitely recommend the Sustainable Business Network, a fantastic initiative that brings together organisations and businesses who are interested in reducing their impact on our climate and environment."

Young Business Person - Will Harrigan - River Coffee Roasters

'In what's been a challenging year for everyone, I'm delighted to pick up Young Business Person at this year's Winchester Business Awards. I'd like to say a big thank you to the River Coffee team, the amazing coffee producers who we work closely with across the world, our wonderful wholesale partners here in Winchester and beyond and everyone who has supported us by buying our coffee on our online webshop. www.rivercoffeeroasters.com'.

SME Independent Business - Open House Deli

Overall Winner - Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists Ltd