Solihull BID Excellence Awards winners revealed
Outstanding employees and innovative companies were given their moment in the spotlight at the annual Solihull BID Excellence Awards 2018.
Hundreds of people attended the red-carpet awards ceremony on Thursday 22nd November at the St Johns Hotel. The event was sponsored by Touchwood, Solihull College & University Centre, Phoebus Software and BNP Paribas.
The Excellence Awards shine a light on the enthusiastic Solihull town centre trainees and forward-thinking businesses leading innovation and customer service in a variety of sectors including retail, leisure, professional services, banking, technology and charity.
Winners celebrated in style as they were announced by ITV News Central newsreader Sameena Ali-Khan.
The event was attended by the Deputy Mayor of Solihull, Cllr Stuart Davis, the Leader of Solihull Borough Council, Cllr Bob Sleigh, and Chief Executive of Solihull Council, Nick Page. The awards featured a rousing performance from Sing Solihull, the town centre business community’s very own choir.
This year’s awards featured eight categories: Best Customer Service, Outstanding Team, Innovation & Enterprise, Best Hospitality & Leisure, Best Corporate Social Responsibility Project, Best Apprentice, Best Trainee and Best Independent.
Winners of the coveted Outstanding Team category were Warwick Road solicitors Thursfields, while fashion retailer New Look won the Customer Service category.
The Innovation & Enterprise award went to Lansdowne Gate-based Phoebus Software. Station Road pub The White Swan took the Hospitality & Leisure category.
Specsavers’ 25 in 25 project, which has been supporting 25 local grass-roots projects throughout 2018, was winner in the Best Corporate Social Responsibility Project and town centre newcomer Tap and Tandoor won Best Independent.
Finally, one of the highlights of the Excellence Awards is to recognise the talented trainees and apprentices making waves in the town centre business community. This year’s winner of Best Apprentice was Taylor Mullins of BNP Paribas, while Kiran Kaur of Specsavers was recognised as Best Trainee.
Solihull Business Improvement District (BID) organises the Excellence Awards. Director, Melanie Palmer, said: “The Excellence Awards continue to go from strength to strength and have become an annual celebration and showcase for the breadth of talent and innovation in Solihull town centre.
“We have an unrivalled two square miles of success in the town centre and these awards provide the perfect opportunity to show the rest of the region why Solihull is simply the best.”
The Excellence Awards judges were: Eileen Schofield, Schofield & Associates, David Bradnock, MBE JP DL FBHI, HM Deputy Lieutenant for the West Midlands, Paul Brown, Director Ernst & Young LLP, David Colcombe, Consultant Chef Director & Visiting Professor UCB, Ojay McDonald, Chief Executive of the ATCM and Stacey Barnfield, Director, Edwin Ellis Creative Media.
Solihull BID Excellence Awards 2018 winners:
Customer Service
Winner – New Look
Outstanding Team
Winner – Thursfields
Highly Commended – Specsavers
Innovation & Enterprise
Winner – Phoebus Software
Highly Commended – Neal’s Yard Remedies
Hospitality & Leisure
Winner – White Swan
Highly Commended – The Core Theatre
Corporate Social Responsibility Project
Winner – Specsavers 25 in 25
Highly Commended – John Lewis
Highly Commended – PNP Paribas
Best Apprentice
Winner – Taylor Mullins (BNP Paribas)
Highly Commended – Lauran Whitehouse (Alexander James Solihull)
Highly Commended – Tom Marigold (John Lewis)
Best Trainee
Winner – Kiran Kaur (Specsavers)
Highly Commended – Maddie Jayes (Specsavers)
Highly Commended – Katarzyna Gawalko (Caffé Nero)
Best Independent
Winner – Tap & Tandoor
Highly Commended – Perspective Opticians
Highly Commended – Liv’s