North Tyneside Celebrates Local Business Excellence at 28th Annual Awards
Local businesses were celebrated in style at the 28th Annual North Tyneside Business Awards, held on Thursday 20th November at the Village Hotel, Cobalt Park. The evening, hosted by voiceover artist and TV and radio presenter Ingrid Johnson, recognised the innovation, resilience, and dedication of businesses across the borough.
This year’s awards highlighted five main categories, with each winner automatically entered for the prestigious Business of the Year Award. NUSA Studio was named New Business of the Year, Kore+ took the Retail & Service Provider award, durhamlane won Technology Innovation, and Tara Warren of Bash Academy received the Heart of the Business award. The Green Award went to The Chocolate Smiths, who also secured the coveted Business of the Year title, celebrating their outstanding contribution to the local economy and commitment to sustainability.
Steffi Sanderson from The Chocolate Smiths said, “I am so proud of my team and our local heritage too – we’re proud Geordies and promote the region on all our products. I am delighted that we have been recognised with this tremendous accolade.”
The public also had their say in the Heart of the Community Award, which recognises businesses that go above and beyond to support their local area. The finalists this year were Turnbulls Funeral Directors, Cheryl Tanner Menopause Fitness Coach, and Tyneside Community Store CIC. The winner was Cheryl Tanner who was delighted with the public vote. “It’s fantastic that my clients and the public have voted for me. Each of the finalists are doing fantastic things in the community so I am especially pleased with this award.”
An award for the Significant Contribution to North Tyneside went to Accenture.
Angela Tuplin, Chair of the North Tyneside Business Forum, said, “It was an incredible evening celebrating the very best of North Tyneside’s business community. Every finalist showcased remarkable talent, innovation, and dedication to their teams and communities. Congratulations to all our winners – you are a shining example of what makes North Tyneside such a fantastic place to do business.”
The North Tyneside Business Awards are supported by a range of local and regional sponsors, including The Banks Group, The Exchange 1856, Elevate, The Beacon Centre, Action on Climate Change, Verkada, Ormston Drylining, TyneMet College, Buston & Maughan, NE Display Ltd, and SocialPlus, and are conducted in partnership with North Tyneside Council.
The North Tyneside Business Forum offers free membership to any business with a trading address in the borough, providing networking, events, and support to help businesses grow and thrive.