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14

Mar

Last Updated: 14/03/2025
Business
Business

Business Awards 2025: The winners revealed at glittering black-tie event

by John Grainger

| 14 Mar, 2025
Comment

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And the winners are...

More than 300 sharply-dressed guests gathered last night to celebrate business excellence – and to discover the winners of the Stray Ferret Business Awards 2025.

The glittering black-tie event was held at Pavilions of Harrogate and was sponsored by Knaresborough-based financial advisers Prosperis.

The evening was hosted by Stray Ferret owner Tamsin O'Brien and included a champagne reception, a three-course dinner, a silent raffle organised by Impulse Decisions in aid of St Michael's Hospice, and dancing till midnight with DJ Mark Green providing the soundtrack.

The awards were presented by BBC Look North newsreader Clare Frisby, who called them a "showcase of everything that’s good about Harrogate".

She said:

These awards are important, because if you don’t celebrate excellence – if you don’t point it out and put the spotlight on it – nobody knows about it. 

And it’s so important to reward people who do well, people who try, people who think outside the box. That’s what we need in business in the Harrogate district.

The highlight of the evening was, of course, the announcement of our 10 winners. Here they are:

Dynamic Leader – sponsored by Impulse Decisions

Winner: Sarah Glynn, Visiting Angels

Highly Commended: Matthew Chapman, Harrogate BID

Best Employer – sponsored by Jones Myers

Winner: CLOUD NINE

Highly Commended: VIDA Healthcare

Best Independent Retailer – sponsored by Hornbeam Park

Winner: Jespers of Harrogate

Best Use of Digital – sponsored by Xi Comms

Winner: IDR Law

Highly Commended: CLOUD NINE

Business Growth – sponsored by Claro Court Business Centre

Winner: Live for Today

Employee Appreciation – sponsored by Vida Healthcare

Winner: Stef Winter, Artizan

Highly Commended: Nicola Isaac, Visiting Angels

Inclusivity Award – sponsored by Kempston-Parkes Chartered Surveyors

Winner: Resurrected Bites

Highly Commended: Henshaws

Rising Star Under 30 – Thompsons Chartered Accountants

Winner: Thomas Lupton, Econ Engineering

Highly Commended: Atlanta Wilkinson-Moore, EnviroVent

Sustainable Business – sponsored by the Stray Ferret

Winner: Horticap

Highly Commended: Lightwater Quarries 

Business of the Year – sponsored by Reed Boardall

Winner: Live for Today