HAMPSHIRE businesses celebrated another successful year with a glitzy award ceremony.

And power plant consultant RJM International has every reason to be happy after being crowned Winchester's Business of the Year at the city's annual Business Excellence Awards.

Managing director of main sponsor Denplan, Steve Gates, said it was a pleasure to see so much thriving business across the district and said owners had made the judges' decision very difficult to decide the 2015 winners.

Mr Gates said: "This is what these businesses represent. They have gone out and shown absolute excellence in these markets. We can look amongst ourselves and looks at what's going on and see that reflected in the judges' decision."

Winner of the University of Winchester's Entrepreneur of the Year was handed to Paul Bowler, founder of Winchester Distillery, while the Winchester City Council Carbon Smart Business of the Year went to Two Hoots Campsite.

Co-organisers Winchester Business Improvement District's Commitment to the City went to Winchester Film and Art CIC, and The Breeze's award for Service Excellence was given to Bluebird Care.

New award for this year was Rooster Creative Marketing's Excellence Online award which was presented to Pass the CASC, and the Responsible Business Award, sponsored by The Business Collective and Osborne Property Services, was given to Integr8 Dance.

The Wilkins Kennedy Excellence in Innovation Award was given to Farley Nursery School while RJM International also took home 1-1 Recruitment's Large Business of the Year.

The Millennium Egg - awarded to David Webb, owner of DNJ solutions, for dedication and contribution to Winchester district - was presented by Winchester City Council chief executive Simon Eden.

Guests were given some hearty entertainment from popular TV and radio comedian and Winchester local Paul McCaffrey.

Hosting this year was editor-in-chief of the Hampshire Chronicle and Daily Echo, Ian Murray, and Winchester City Council's Eloise Appleby, assistant director for economic prosperity.

For more pictures and reaction from the Business Excellence Awards 2015, read the Hampshire Chronicle on Thursday