NWN Best in Business Awards 2023 has launched
The Newbury Weekly News Best in Business Awards has officially launched.
A launch event was held in Parkway Shopping Centre last Thursday for event sponsors.
Local businesses came together at 137 Distillery in Parkway for food, drink and good old-fashioned networking.
Owner of 137 Distillery, Pete Lumber, said: “I am honoured to host the launch today.
“I have had a long working relationship with the Newbury Weekly News, I know all the guys that work there.”
Mr Lumber, who won Best Restaurant in the previous West Berkshire Business Awards in 2014, added: “The awards are a fantastic opportunity for businesses to showcase themselves, if they win or just participate.
“There are amazing businesses in Newbury so the more we see [of them] the better.”
Among sponsors was Apple Print & Creative (AP&C) managing director Victoria Walker who said: “It’s brilliant. It is the first time we are sponsoring an event.
“It is important to get involved in these events and it’s nice to see other local businesses.
“Whilst we [AP&C] have global clients, I would love to embed more resources into the West Berkshire community.”
AP&C is sponsoring the overall winner of West Berkshire's Business of 2022/23.
The awards, which launched in 2017, are returning after nearly three years of absence due to the pandemic.
Parkway Shopping centre manager Andy Marmot said he was delighted to be a part of the first awards post-pandemic.
He said Parkway has come out of the lockdown successfully, with Newbury returning well to retail, which he said was incredibly important for the town.
Parkway Newbury is sponsoring the Best Independent Retailer category.
The launch event was also an opportunity for businesses to network and better understand what the awards are all about.
Victoria Bailey and Jessamy Walker from Bare Naked Money said: “We were once a nominee in the awards so it is really good to now sponsor someone else to do it.
“We know some people here and there are some we don’t, and that's what this is all about. It’s about making those links.”
Bare Naked Money is sponsoring the Best Online Business category.
The Newbury Weekly News Best in Business Awards evening will be held on Friday, March 31, 2023, at Newbury Racecourse.
Expert judges will help shortlist the finalists in each category and they will be invited to the racecourse on March 31 where the winners will be revealed at a gala dinner.
Fidelity Energy head of direct division Russell Downing said: “I was one of the original funders of the awards. I have been involved in pretty much all of them.
“We are a local business and we want to work with local businesses to help and support them.”
Fidelity Energy is sponsoring the Best Green Business Award.
HR Dept was also in attendance and is sponsoring the Employee of the Year category.
KJSmith Solicitors, which has been in Newbury for three years, is sponsoring Best Professional Service.
James Cowper Kreston is sponsoring the Best Business Innovation category.
West Berkshire Council is sponsoring Best New Business.
This leaves Best Customer Experience, Charity of the Year, Best Sports Club, Best Hospitality Award and Team of the Year.
To enter a category, click here or to sponsor a category, click here.
Categories include Best Independent Retailer (sponsored by Parkway Shopping), Best Customer Experience, Best New Business (sponsored by West Berkshire Council), Best Online Business (sponsored by Bare Naked Money), Best Green Business (sponsored by Fidelity Energy), Best Business Innovation (sponsored by James Cowper Kreston), Best Sports Club, Best Professional Services (sponsored by KJ Smith Solicitors), Best Hospitality Award (sponsored by Visit Newbury), Team of the Year, Employer of the Year (sponsored by The HR Dept) and the overall winner West Berkshire’s Business of 2022/23 (sponsored by Apple Print & Creative).
