Photo of all the winners at the Stray Ferret Business Awards 2024.

The Stray Ferret Business Awards recognises and celebrates your business achievements culminating in an awards dinner on Thursday 13 March 2025.

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The Stray Ferret Business Awards 2025 sponsored by Prosperis

Ferret

The Stray Ferret Business Awards 2025 are for businesses across all sectors within the Harrogate district including Ripon, Masham, Boroughbridge, Pateley Bridge and Knaresborough. 

This is an opportunity to put your business, team or an employee in the spotlight. There's no better accolade than a coveted Stray Ferret Business Award.

Tickets for the event can be purchased here

The Finalists

Take a look at our finalists for the 2025 Stray Ferret Business Awards.

Winners will be crowned at our glittering black tie awards ceremony on 13 March at Pavilions.

Get your tickets for the business networking event of the year here.

We'd like to thank our judges Niall Gunn (Prosperis) and Andy Makin (EnviroVent) for supporting our charity finalists with additional tickets to the event.

  • Dynamic Leader 

    These people are key for any successful business. They drive progress, activity and change in their organisation.

    FINALISTS:

    Matthew Chapman, Harrogate BID

    Simon Wade, Grantham Arms

    Hazel Haas, Knaresborough Christmas Market

    Marc Wise, Live For Today

    Sarah Glynn, Visiting Angels

  • Business Growth

    A business that has seen significant growth in the last three years either financially, by employee numbers or market share increase.

    FINALISTS:

    ABK Invest - How Stean Gorge

    Live For Today

    Blubell Inn, Grantham Arms & Tap on the Tutt

  • Sustainable Business

    This award recognises those businesses that have put sustainability at the top of their agenda. These businesses are helping drive change and leading the way by reducing their impact on the environment.

    FINALISTS:

    Harrogate Community Radio

    Horticap

    Lightwater Quarries

  • Best Employer 

    Best Employers embrace a culture of high performance, stress company values and have systems in place to inspire their workforce to do their best.

    FINALISTS:

    CLOUD NINE

    NEOM Wellbeing

    SMR Architects

    VIDA Healthcare

    Visiting Angels

  • Rising Star Under 30

    This award highlights the up and coming talent at a business. These people are sure to make waves and build a successful career in the years to come.

    FINALISTS:

    Dominic Forshaw, Pavilions/YEC

    Emily Gaunt, Bluebell Arkendale

    Thomas Lupton, Econ Engineering

    Aoife Robinson, Next Chapter

    Atlanta Wilkinson-Moore, EnviroVent

    Lauren Wood, Yorkshire Wellbeing Collective

  • Employee Appreciation

    This person is the glue of the team. They are not only integral to the day to day, but they also bring a personal touch that makes the business that bit brighter.

    FINALISTS:

    Stef Winter, Artizan

    Bethany Allen, Harrogate BID

    Danny Scott, Howard Conrad

    Georgia Armitage, Grantham Arms

    Nicola Isaac, Visiting Angels

  • Business of the Year 

    A business which is leading the way in strategy, growth, community involvement and people development.

    FINALISTS:

    City Plumbing

    CLOUD NINE

    Lightwater Quarries & Concrete 4U

    Live For Today

    Verity Frearson

  • Best Independent Retailer 

    This business has navigated the changes to high street shopping and as a result is seeing growth in challenging retail times.

    FINALISTS:

    17 Miles

    Jespers of Harrogte

    Smiths of Harrogate

    The Cyrstal Buddha

  • Inclusivity Award 

    Vital recognition for a company that has demonstrated working practices with a proactive approach to inclusivity, giving people a chance to thrive.

    FINALISTS:

    Artizan Cafe

    CLOUD NINE

    Craft & Social

    Henshaws Arts & Crafts Centre

    Resurrected Bites

  • Best Use of Digital

    A business that has embraced the digital world to drive success.

    FINALISTS:

    CLOUD NINE

    IDR Law

    Live For Today

    Nexus Dental Labroratory

    Show + Tell

Meet the Judges

Judging will take place on 14 January 2025.

  • Niall Gunn

    Niall is the CEO of Prosperis. With over 35 years of experience in the financial services sector, Niall has been instrumental in shaping the Prosperis service proposition and unique market position since setting up the business in 2001. His expertise is working with key individuals in SME businesses, advising on their corporate benefit structure, retirement and investment strategies.  

  • Photo of Zara Jackson, CEO of Harrogate company Network Scientific.

    Zara Jackson

    Zara is the Founder and CEO of Harrogate-based Network Scientific; an international business growth agency offering recruitment, sales and marketing services to businesses operating in the scientific sectors. Zara is a biomedical scientist and will bring her extensive experience of advising and consulting companies on business growth strategies, to the panel. 

  • Fiona Movley

    Fiona is the Chair of the Harrogate International Festivals where as a trustee she applies her strategic knowledge and fundraising experience to the arts sector in the north. Her working life has featured many of Harrogate’s leading charity organisations including St Michael’s Hospice and the Yorkshire Agricultural Society. 

  • Andy Makin

    Andy is the MD of Harrogate based EnviroVent, a multi award-winning provider of sustainable ventilation solutions for residential homes across the UK and overseas. His expertise in growing sales and leading talented teams has increased the sales of innovative indoor air products. EnviroVent was recently recognised with two prestigious business awards for manufacturing in early 2024.

The winners of the Stray Ferret 2024 Business Awards sponsored by Prosperis

Winners Lounge 

This is the moment the entrants for the Stray Ferret Business Awards have all been dreaming about. 

The Winners Lounge, sponsored by LCF Law, where we interview finalists and take lots of pictures so we can celebrate your success.

What does it mean to win the Stray Ferret Business Awards?

Harvey George were thrilled to win an award in the category best use of digital. It was wonderful to have the teams hard work, knowledge and dedication recognised by other people outside of the company.

Sophie Griffiths, Harvey George

Winning Large Business of the Year was an honour and a privilege. We are grateful to all the judges for recognising Vida Healthcare, which gave our workforce a real boost. The Stray Ferret brings the community together with these awards

James Rycroft, Vida Healthcare

We were thrilled to win the Business Growth Award at this year’s Stray Ferret Business Awards. Particularly as a small independent business, to be recognised in a category with some local giants in the shortlist was amazing. I’d like to say a huge thank you to all the team at Starling who have responded so positively to the significant growth we have achieved over the past couple of years.

Simon Midgley, Starling Independent

I was overjoyed for The Cheeseboard to be singled out as the Best Independent Retailer, especially amongst such fierce competition. It really was an honour and testament to our hard work and dedication to supplying the public with local, artisan produce, supporting dairy industries locally and further afield. In a world when the economical climate is uncertain, and high street shops are closing, it is such a pleasure that a small, independent shop like The Cheeseboard has survived and is still surviving in these uncertain times. After 42 years in business, we are so pleased to have this award bestowed on us!

Gemma Akroyd, The Cheeseboard Harrogate