Brighton & Hove Business Awards: The Winners

Sussex Business Times reports back on the winners of the Brighton & Hove Business Awards 2016…

The Brighton & Hove Business Awards winners were announced – in association with The Argus – at the annual event in All Saints Church on Thursday 15^th September.

More than 300 businessmen, women and guests attended the event from around 100 different Brighton-based businesses, including the Deputy Mayor and Lord Lieutenant of East Sussex, Peter Field as well as MPs from Hove and Pavilion.

The main winner of the night was The Big Lemon, achieving awards for Best Place to Work, Judges’ Award for the Business of the Year, as well as Managing Director, Tom Druitt receiving an award from Caroline Lucas MP.

Managing Director of Ticketmedia, Jeremy Burbidge, (shortlisted three times) was named Managing Director of the Year, meanwhile Peter Kyle MP presented the Creative Industries Award to The Chinese Room, which was also highly commended as the one of the best businesses in Brighton.

Other big Brighton names who took home gongs on the night included Brighton Gin which won awards for Business Beyond the City and New Kids on the Block.  The gin distiller was also highly commended as the one of the best businesses in Brighton.

Sponsors of the Brighton & Hove Business Awards 2016 included Brighton & Hove Buses, Cardens Accountants, City Cabs, Dental Health Spa, Gatwick Airport, Gemini Print, Graves Jenkins, Martin Searle Solicitors, RBS, Robinson Low Francis, TSS Facilities and Yelo Architects, and the event was supported by the Chamber of Commerce, Brighton & Hove City Council, Brilliant Brighton, the Brighton and Hove Food Festival, the Brighton Business Curry Club and Brighton & Hove Tourism Alliance.

Editor of The Argus, Mike Gilson also introduced a new Chair’s Award, which was given to a deserving Matthew Murphy, Electrical Services. Mike commented: “As we went through this long process of arguing and debating about all these excellent businesses it struck me that one type of business was missing from the winners rostrum and I asked my fellow judges whether we should rectify this.

“Brighton has a delicious reputation for being cutting edge and funky and many of its businesses reflect that with their creativity, artistry or green ethos.  But that is not the whole picture for of course there are hundreds of other businesses, service contractors, builders, drivers gardeners etc who all have to compete in ferocious markets.

“And there was one such company who really stood out in a number of categories that I would like to give a special award to.

“This company started only three years ago with a single employee and now has a staff of 12 and a turnover of half a million. And wait for this these guys won’t make you wait in all day for them to turn up for they have on the hour bookings.”

This year’s Outstanding Brightonian award was presented to Sarah Springford, who has been Director of the Chamber of Commerce since 2008. Mike Gilson, presenting Sarah with her award, cited her terrific work with the Living Wage: “Thanks to her hard work and dedication, almost 300 businesses in Brighton & Hove have signed up to the Living Wage. Sarah has transformed the Chamber and delivered some really amazing results on behalf of business in the city.”

Award Winners…

The Business in the Community: Bevendean Community Pub

The Best Place to Visit: The Sewer Tours, organised by Southern Water

The Best Event in the City: Carousel’s Oska Bright Film Festival

The Green Business Award: The Big Lemon

The Best New Kids on the Block: Brighton Gin

The Award for Best Customer Service: Blanch House

The Award for Best Place to Work: The Big Lemon

The Award for Business Beyond the City: Brighton Gin

The Award for Best Independent Retailer: Small Batch Coffee Roasters

The Creative Industries Award: The Chinese Room

The Professional Services Award: Magenta Associates

The Managing Director of the Year: Jeremy Burbidge, Ticketmedia

The Fastest Growing Business Award: Ellie Ellie

The Judges’ Award for Business of the Year: The Big Lemon

The Chairman’s Award: Matthew Murphy Electrical Services

The Outstanding Brightonian: Sarah Springford, Chamber of Commerce