Just three weeks to go until West Norfolk Mayor’s Business Awards

The 2025 West Norfolk Business Awards are taking place three 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.Over the last two weeks, we have focused on some of the 2024 winners. Last week, we looked back at Jake Twite of Lynn-based Steele Media (Apprentice/Trainee of the Year), Tipsy Teapot (Customer Care) and Cooper and Elms Limited (Independent Retailer of the Year).

The team at Images Hair and Beauty with owner Annette McNaught holding award (left) with Vicky Etheridge (right). Picture: Ian Burt

This week we put the spotlight on three more of our 2024 winners, with more to come next week.Images Hair & Beauty was crowned King’s Lynn Champion last year, beating off opposition from Just Essentials and Rusty Krab Rum Shop. The award was sponsored last year and this by Discover King’s Lynn (BID).After receiving the award, owner Annette McNaught said: “I’m absolutely delighted and really ecstatic to have won the award. It means an awful lot after 41 years to be recognised for our services. It’s lovely, I’m really proud. “We do lots of charity work, last year we did a charity event and raised more than £6,000 for children with leukaemia. We tend to build on that as we have a platform to do that and we love it.”Walpole Highway-based Tamar Nurseries scooped the Environmental Champion award in 2024. Tamar Nurseries was up against British Sugar and Mickram Ltd, in a category sponsored by West Norfolk Council, which is also backing it this year. After being announced as the winner, managing director Johan Huibers said: “I just want to share the message that we can look after the planet in a much better way and I want to share that with everybody in the world.“It can be done, we just need to get started.”

Eric Snaith and the team at Eric’s Fish and Chips at the Mayor’s Business Awards. Picture: Ian Burt

Leisure and Tourism winner in 2024 was Eric’s Fish and Chips in Thornham, with other shortlisted finalists Arbuckles in Downham and the Lord Nelson in Burnham. The award was sponsored last year by Complete Commercial Finance and is sponsored by Fraser Dawbarns this year.Speaking after receiving the accolade, owner Eric Snaith said: “I’m delighted to get a win. We’ve been in the final for this a few times and other awards recently so to get a win is really cool. “We’ve got a whole table here tonight and so many people invested in our business and really care about it. I’m absolutely thrilled to get over the line and win this award.”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.