A CEREMONY held at Chester Cathedral celebrated the city's best in business.

Chester firms gathered together to celebrate the winners of the annual Chester BID Customer Service Awards at the Cathedral on Tuesday, October 19.

The awards, introduced by Chester’s Business Improvement District in 2015, recognise Chester’s shops, restaurants, bars, independent retailers and other businesses that take the time to make the customer’s experience exceptional.

Nominated online by the public, the awards cover 16 different categories, including ‘Best Independent Business’ and ‘Best Large Retailer’. The retailers and outlets that received the most votes from the public were visited by judges to determine the overall winner for each category.

One of the biggest achievements on the night went to Watergate Street Gallery, which celebrated a hat-trick by winning the ‘Best Independent Retailer’ award for the third year in a row.

Newcomers to the awards, Marmalade on Northgate, picked up the title of ‘Best Coffee Shop / Cafe’.

Another newcomer, The Hotel Chester, was noted for its exceptional customer service in the category, ‘Best Hotel / B&B’, and winning the ‘Best of Grosvenor Shopping Centre’ was Whitewall Galleries.

Marks & Spencer won ‘Best Large Retailer’ (21 Staff or more) for the third time, whilst Lush picked up the accolade for ‘Small Retailer (20 staff or fewer)’.

Storyhouse won the ‘Best Travel and Leisure’ award. Further Winner:s included The Scented Garden Retreat in the ‘Health & Beauty services’ category, as well as Fatface, which picked up the award for ‘Small Fashion Retailer’.

Jaunty Goat’s newest venture, Jaunty Goat Bakery was recognised with the award for ‘Best Food On The Go’, whilst ‘Best Restaurant’ went to newcomers from Japanese restaurant Hamayuu and ‘Best Pub, Bar and Club’ was awarded to Barlounge.

Lloyds Bank were presented with the ‘Best Professional Services’ award.

Three new awards were introduced this year. ‘Best Market Trader’ went to The Cheese Wedge and the ‘Sustainability Award’ sponsored by Chester Zoo was given to Jaunty Goat, in recognition of how they manage fair wages to farmers at source and their work with carbon neutral companies.

A ‘Special Award’ sponsored by Chester Business Club was also introduced to recognise exceptional customer service achievements. This was awarded to Shrub who not only began their business during the initial lockdown, but also broke down barriers to create a creative al fresco dining space and represented Chester’s hospitality industry on TV, print and radio as part of the city’s Chester Together campaign.

Carl Critchlow, BID Manager at Chester BID, said: “It is just fantastic to welcome back these awards and to recognise the hardworking businesses that make Chester such a special place to shop, dine and visit.”

“We introduced the awards at the beginning of our first term and they are now an integral part of the annual business calendar. After the challenging landscape the high street has faced over the Covid crisis, it is doubly important to us that we take the time to celebrate the businesses who have faced adversity with such determination, innovation and positivity.”

“It is of course, the people within these businesses that make customers' experiences so special, and the same people who make our city so welcoming and popular with Cestrians and tourists alike.”

Winners

  • Best Coffee Shop/Cafe

Winner: Marmalade

Runner-up: The Flower Cup

Runner-up: The Jaunty Goat

  • Best Food on the Go

Winner: Jaunty Goat Bakery

Runner-up: Planet Doughnut

Runner-up: Chatwins

  • Best Restaurant

Winner: Hamayuu

Runner-up: Ristorante Sergio

Runner-up: Chez Jules

  • Best Pubs, Bars and Clubs

Winner: Barlounge

Runner-up: Paysan

Runner-up: Dublin Packet

  • Best Small Retailer (20 staff or less)

Winner: Lush

Runner-up: Waterstones

Runner-up: Hotel Chocolat

  • Best Small Fashion Retailer (20 staff or fewer)

Winner: Fatface

Runner-up: The White Company

Runner-up: Dr Martens

  • Best Independent Retailer (fewer than 5 branches)

Winner: Watergate Street Gallery

Runner-up: Just Footprints

Runner-up: Weasel and the Bug

  • Best Large Retailer (21 or more staff)

Winner: Marks & Spencer

Runner-up: Wilko

Runner-up: Boots Foregate Street

  • Best Health and Beauty Services

Winner: The Scented Garden Retreat

Runner-up: Scissors

Runner-up: The Body Shop

  • Best Professional Services

Winner: Lloyds

Runner-up: Natwest

Runner-up: Halifax

  • Best Travel & Leisure

Winner: Storyhouse

Runner-up: Breakout Chester

Runner-up: Sick to Death

  • Best Hotel / B&B

Winner: The Hotel Chester

Runner-up: The Chester Grosvenor

Runner-up: Pied Bull

  • Best Chester Market Trader

Winner: The Cheese Wedge

Runner-up: Geoff Hughes Family Butcher

Runner-up: Death by Tacos

  • Best of Grosvenor Shopping Centre

Winner: Whitewall Galleries

Runner-up: Kayes Jewellers

Runner-up: Jewellery by Design

  • The Special Award

Winner: Shrub

  • Sustainability Champion

Winner: Jaunty Goat

Honourable mention: Just Footprints

Honourable mention: Shrub

Honourable mention: Base Architects

Honourable mention: Weasel & The Bug

Honourable mention: Lush