Business Awards take place four weeks today

The 2025 West Norfolk Business Awards are taking place four weeks today.Organised by the Lynn News and our sister title Your Local Paper, the glittering ceremony will be held on Friday, March 7 at the usual venue of the Alive Corn Exchange in Lynn’s Tuesday Market Place.Last week we focused on three of the 2024 winners – Sealskinz (Mayor’s Business of the Year), Lynnmoore (Small Business of the Year) and Tim Gibb of Outwell’s Crown Lodge Hotel (Businessperson of the Year).

This week we put the spotlight on three more of our 2024 winners, with more to come over the next two weeks.Jake Twite of Lynn-based Steele Media was crowned Apprentice/Trainee of the Year last year, beating off opposition from Natalie Parker of GH Hair Design and Tom Owen of Just4You Fitness. The award was sponsored last year and this by Greenyard Frozen.After receiving the award, he said: “It’s the perfect way to finish the apprenticeship. It shows all the hard work I’ve put in. It’s been amazing, it’s really helped me with my journey.

“I’m looking forward to progressing, becoming more involved in the team – hopefully getting another apprentice below me would be brilliant and letting them follow the same path that I did and growing the team.” Tipsy Teapot on Lynn’s High Street scooped up the Customer Care award in 2024. They were up against estate agents Newson & Buck and Free Your Body Therapy, in a category sponsored by My House Online, who are also backing it this year.After being announced as the winner, Neil said: “I’m relaxed now. This is an honour to receive, it’s all down to our team and at the end of the day without their hard work it wouldn’t have brought mine and Lisa’s vision to life. “That’s the bottom line, it doesn’t matter what we’ve created, it’s down to our team. This is for them. It’s not about us its about them.”

Independent Retailer of the Year winner in 2024 was Cooper and Elms Limited take home, with other shortlisted finalists Eric’s Fish & Chips in Thornham and Lynn’s The Bottom Drawer Bridal. The award was sponsored last year by Complete Commercial Finance and is available for sponsoring this year.Speaking after receiving the accolade, director Ian Cooper said: “It’s a great achievement, I’m a bit emotional to be honest with you. It’s our 40th year in business, I’m incredibly proud of my team.“My father started the business 40 years ago and I’ve been there since I was a small schoolboy. I’m incredibly proud – it’s our third time winning.” The shortlists for the 2025 awards, whose headline sponsor is once again West Norfolk Council, are as follows:Mayor’s Business of the Year (sponsored by West Norfolk Council): Bespak, Home and Garden Outlet, Steele Media.Small Business of the Year (Mapus-Smith & Lemmon): Designs, Smartlift Bulk Packaging, Steele Media.Businessperson of the Year (Brown & Co): Daniel High (Doctor Thirstys Night Club and Rewind), Emily Phipps (The Angel at Watlington), Tom and Laura McEwan (Home Instead West Norfolk).Business Innovation (Metcalfe, Copeman & Pettefar): GH Hair Design, Workplace IT. Apprentice/Trainee of the Year (Greenyard Frozen): Conor Clark (MARS), Katrina Moffatt (Benchmarx Kitchens & Joinery), Meg Savage (Eric’s Pizza).Customer Care (My House Online): Crown Lodge, Munchkin and Me, King’s Lynn Residential Care Home.Independent Retailer: GG’s Treasures, Mabel Bakery, The Norfolk Deli.Leisure and Tourism (Fraser Dawbarns): Majestic Cinema, True’s Yard Fisherfolk Museum, Watatunga Wildlife Reserve. Employee of the Year (Mars): Dan Mason (Workplace IT), Livvi Hodges (College of West Anglia), Sarah Cox (West Norfolk Deaf Association).King’s Lynn Champion (Discover King’s Lynn (BID): Fraser Dawbarns, Kip McGrath Education, Rose Garden Flowers.Environmental Champion (West Norfolk Council): Goodwins Hall Care Home, Mars Food, Springwood High School.

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