Winning the Best Food and Drink Business at the Best of Bury Awards

On the 22nd November we attended the Best of Bury – Made in Bury 2013 Business awards after being short listed in the Food and drink category. This was the first time these awards had taken place and remarkably it was also the first time there had ever been any business awards for businesses located in the Bury area. 

We were shortlisted against two other businesses, the Bury black pudding company and Barista (coffee shop located in the rock, shopping centre). Both of these were stiff competition particularly the Bury Black Pudding company who supply the town’s most famous food product nationwide to most of the big supermarkets and deli’s. To our great suprise we won!!  Apparently the business plan we entered really stood out and made us worthy winners. It’s great to get some recognition for the hard work the team have put in over the last 6 months and has provided us all with a real morale boost going into the busy Christmas period.

The actual event was organised by Debbie and Phil Fellone who run the Best of Bury. They did a fantastic job, the event ironically was held in Prestwich not Bury but the venue was excellent, it was well attended by over 300 people the majority from local businesses but also prominent members of  Bury council who were also sponsoring the awards.

The event was in the afternoon, the agenda was drinks and networking followed by a three course luncheon then the serious business of handing out the prizes.  Andy Crane was the master of ceremonies and did an excellent job although like most people of my generation I can only ever picture him in the  BBC Children’s broom cupboard with Ed the Duck, anything else seems out the norm. There were excellent speeches from Phil Fellone and his wife Debbie. Mike Connolly the leader of Bury council also gave a speech outlining what the council had achieved over the last year and their plans for the future. There were also magicians going round the tables during  lunch which normally I wouldn’t bother mentioning but they were so good they seemed to be one of the main topics of conversation during the whole event and after. 

It was really pleasing to see the event so well supported and I really didn’t realise there was so many successful businesses located in the Bury area. I  sat on a table with a company who specialised in removing Japanese knotweed and a Pilates and Yoga business from Ramsbottom. They were both great company and if  I ever have a knotweed problem or need realigning (apparently that’s what pilates does) then I know who to go to.

The other good news was our friends over at the Eagle and Child, Ramsbottom won their category – Backing young bury. Under the guise of EAT (Employment and Training) the team at the Eagle and Child led by Glen Duckett  focus on supporting disadvantaged young people into employment and training by offering them “on-the-job” training opportunities. Very worth winners and a model I want Albert Matthews to look at in the future.

After all the excitement of the awards being handed out it was time to head home but it’s great to get some recognition in our home town and everyone was in agreement what a complete success the event had been and how next year it will be even bigger.