The best in business were honoured with top awards as the Winchester Business Excellence Awards returned on Thursday.
The annual awards scheme, which is organised in partnership with The Hampshire Chronicle, Hampshire Chamber of Commerce and Winchester BID, took place at the University of Winchester.
The 2022 finalists were:
Business Leader
WINNER: Forte Kitchen and The Hatch - Naomi Beamish and Olly Biggs
They have faced many challenges in running a business and believe that staying positive is extremely important. They inspire their team through their training called ‘Service the Forte Kitchen way’. They also go in to work busy shifts with team members to not only support them but to identify how processes can be improved. They have clear objectives and financial goals and their tight control of finances and proactive leadership has seen them not only survive the pandemic but grow in it too.
Shortlisted: Arbor Call Ltd – Alison Lovejoy
Shortlisted: University of Winchester – Rev'd Professor Liz Stuart
Charity & Social Enterprise
CHARITY WINNER: Winchester Youth Counselling (WYC)
A fantastic and much needed organisation which supports and champions the mental well being within the Winchester district
SOCIAL ENTERPRISE WINNER: Bespoke Biking
Bespoke Biking unites the hugely popular Handlebar Café on the water meadows and the innovative Bike Hub in the city centre in their mission to provide an ethical and accessible opportunity for everyone to cycle more in the Winchester area.
Shortlisted: Citizens Advice Winchester District
Shortlisted: Street Reach
Digital Innovation
WINNER: Blue Apple Theatre
Blue Apple Theatre is a Winchester based charity that changes the lives of adults and young people with learning disabilities through the arts.
Shortlisted: Experience Hampshire
Shortlisted: The Perfect Assistant
Large Business
WINNER: Ridge and Partners LLP
Ridge is a multidiscipline property and construction consultancy with offices around the UK. Richard Hand first started a South Coast office with three members of staff in 2008. Having grown that office organically, he led the acquisition of Winchester-based engineering
consultancy Upton McGougan in 2014. In 2016, he secured the purchase of PH Warr Ltd and relocated all their Bournemouth and Southampton staff to the Ridge office at Winnall and, in 2019, he completed the acquisition of another Winchester-based consultancy, Gysin Warr
Ltd, successfully integrating everyone within the Ridge organisation and culture
Shortlisted: Trethowans LLP
Shortlisted: Integr8 Dance
New Business
WINNER: Remedi Health
From humble beginnings in one room, Remedi Health has recently moved to new premises in Southgate Street, registering as a private pharmacy with the General Pharmaceutical Council. Its business is built of the solid foundation of Covid-19 testing, but it now offers a large range of services alongside a core dispensing and medicines supply business.
Shortlisted: Giuseppe Manco
Shortlisted: Lark Kids
Service Excellence
WINNER: Searle & Taylor
Searle & Taylor has over 50 five-star Google reviews from its clients, praising its kitchens, design work and customer service. Searle & Taylor celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2021 and is the longest-established kitchen studio in Winchester, based on Southgate Street, opposite the Hotel du Vin
Shortlisted: Brims Yoga
Shortlisted: The Cup and Saucer
Shortlisted: Toscanaccio
SME/Independent Business
WINNER: P&G Wells
P&G Wells is (possibly) the oldest bookshop in the country having operated from the same site in College Street in Winchester since 1729; however in 2021 the shop moved into the 21st Century
Shortlisted: By Ross Garcia
Shortlisted: Maven Co-working
Sustainable Business
WINNER: Marwell Wildlife
Popular zoo and wildlife attraction Marwell Wildlife will reach carbon neutral this year for scopes 1, 2 and some 3 carbon emissions through a combination of energy efficiency, renewable energy (including a first of it's kind plant using animal manure to generate heat) and habitat restoration and tree planting.
Shortlisted: Earthian Zero Waste Shop
Shortlisted: Ridge and Partners LLP
Winner of the Millennium Egg - Steve Northam, IncuHive
This special honour, chosen by Winchester City Council, was given to Steve, who is the founder and director of a range of companies based in the UK, including The IncuHive Group, a collection of co-working flex office spaces that offer business incubation and mentoring/investment support as part of the community.
Overall Business of the Year
Marwell Wildlife
The judges chose Marwell Wildlife as the overall winner due to its outstanding commitment to sustainability and its recent Queen's Awards for Enterprise, as well as its positive contribution to the local area, as it is a large tourist attraction bringing in business from across the country.
This year's event was sponsored by Paris Smith, Dutton Gregory, Winchester City Council, Winchester University, Winchester BID, Azets, Ridge & Partners and Gentian. The awards were also supported by Natwest, Little Kitchen and Chesil House and were open to businesses within the Winchester District.
WATCH: Winchester Business Excellence Awards 2022: Video shows all the excitement from the night
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