ONE of Britain’s oldest wine and spirit merchant played host at the launch of this year’s Inspire Business Awards.

Event and award sponsors gathered in the wine tasting room at Berry Bros & Rudd’s Gemini premises in Hamilton Close, Basingstoke, where it was announced that entries for INSPIRE15 can now be made.

The prestigious annual awards are organised by Destination Basingstoke and are open to businesses across north Hampshire covering Andover in the west to Aldershot in the east.

Destination Basingstoke managing director Felicity Edwards said: “I know that often, and understandably, when people think of INSPIRE they think of the awards evening and all its glitz.

“After all it has been compared to some of the best and is much bigger than other awards evenings in the region.

“However INSPIRE is an awards programme, not just a good night out, and the most important part of the programme are the awards themselves and every business that enters them.

“If we are to stay the biggest and best then we have to constantly strive to encourage the best calibre of entries and we ask all of our sponsors, previous winners and anyone else that knows the awards to encourage clients and suppliers to enter.”

There are 13 awards up for grabs with two new categories – Manufacturing Business of the Year Award sponsored by Basingstoke-based EC Electronics which won the Business of the Year Award at INSPIRE14 and Family Business of the Year Award, sponsored by Berry Bros & Rudd.

Commenting on the new categories, Felicity said: “This is a reflection of our desire to keep things fresh and respond to what businesses are telling us.”

Delighted to be a part of the INSPIRE team, Jonathan White, senior marketing manager at Berry Bros & Rudd said he thought INSPIRE15 should be a vintage year.

“It’s a great way for us to introduce us to everyone as it’s the first time we are sponsoring an INSPIRE award and it’s a good way of getting know everyone and show them our tasting room,” said Jonathan.

“This is where we invite people from around the world to come and show us their wines and it’s where we teach our customers about wine with our wine school.”

He thought it was very appropriate that Berry Bros & Rudd are sponsoring the Family Business of the Year Award, given that the firm established in 1698 is very much a family business.

To enter the wards is simple and free by visiting inspirebusinessawards.co.uk.

INSPIRE15 categories and sponsors:

Manufacturing Business of the Year Award sponsored by EC Electronics

Family Business of the Year Award sp0onsored by Berry Bros & Rudd

New Business of the Year Award sponsored by Xcite Digital

Innovation Excellence Award sponsored by Santander

Entrepreneur of the Year Award sponsored by Autoplaza

International Business of the Year sponsored by Fluor

Business and the Community Award sponsored by Sentinel

Employer of the Year Award sponsored by Haines Watts

Small Business of the Year Award sponsored by The Breeze

Service Excellence Award sponsored by Asset Advantage

Employee of the Year Award sponsored by Hays

Young Business Person of the Year Award sponsored by Minuteman Press

Business of the Year Award sponsored by Wilding Butler

Event sponsors:

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council

Herrington Carmichael Solicitors

Rushmoor Borough Council

Gazette Newspapers

Menzies

Test Valley Borough Council

Face TV

HSBC

Absolutely Offices

Hart District Council

Hampshire Chamber of Commerce

Destination Basingstoke