Winners announced at Love Lancaster Business Awards

The winners have been announced at the Love Lancaster Business Awards night after more than 1500 nominations were received.

The event celebrates the success of businesses in Lancaster city centre and the people who work in and champion them.

The winners were announced on Thursday night at a ceremony held at the Ashton Hall, organised by Lancaster BID (Business Improvement District).

The night was hosted by Dave Guest, BBC Northwest Tonight reporter.

An independent panel of judges picked the winners in 15 categories. The judges were Lindsay Brown from Lancaster and Morecambe Police, Siobhan Courtney, managing director of the Eventus Recruitment Group, Rob Ellis, MD and co-founder of Two Stories, Will Griffith, chief officer for environment and place at Lancaster City Council, Sarah Harrison, manager of Marketgate shopping centre, Jennifer Larton from Holdens Law, Jon Powell, head of enterprise and innovation services at Lancaster University, and Sarah Turnbull, commercial manager at NatWest.

The full list of winners and finalists was as follows:

Customer Service Team of the Year 

Winners: Dalton Square Pharmacy

Finalists: Boots, Gregory Williams Butchers

Cafe/Coffee Shop of the Year

Winners: Brew

Finalists: Journey Social, The Old Bell

Employee of the Year

Winner: Harley Parker (The White Cross)

Finalists: Lucy Sweetman (The Penny Bank), Naomi Parsons (the Judges' Lodgings)

Hair and Beauty Salon of the Year

Winner: House of Serenity

Finalists: Emslies, Jo and Cass

Manager of the Year

Winner: Aimee Rostern-Fraser (The Sugarhouse)

Finalists: Glenn White (Marketgate), Ruth Laverty (Dalton Square Pharmacy)

Multiple Retailer of the Year

Winner: Waterstones

Finalists: Sainsburys, The Entertainer

Professional Services Award

Winner: Westmorland Homecare

Finalists: Joseph A Jones Solicitors, Mighty House

Lancaster Superhero of the Year

Winner: Louise Williams (Food for Thought/The Hygiene Bank)

Finalists: Karen Dickinson (Samba Espirito), Linda Warrington (Defying Dementia)

Independent Retailer of the Year

Winner: Gregory Williams Butchers

Finalists: Lancaster Bed Company, Meet the Makers

Pub/Bar of the Year

Winner: Runner Duck Wine Room

Finalists: The Sun, Ye Olde John O'Gaunt

Restaurant of the Year

Winner: Now or Never

Finalists: Merchants 1688, The Quarterhouse

Takeaway of the Year

Winner: Aquila Pizza

Finalists: Ado's, Perilicious

Visitor Attraction of the Year

Winner: Lancaster Music Festival

Finalists: Lancaster Walks, Talks and Tours, The Dukes

Special Recognition Award

Lancaster Walks, Talks and Tours

Young Person of the Year

Winner: Ciara Moriarty (The Performance Studios)

Finalists: Ki Crawley (The Sun), William McLachlan (Tipple)

Ambassador of the Year

Winner: Tim Tomlinson (Publican and Chair of Pubwatch)

Finalists: Greg Lambert (Beyond Radio), Lucy Reynolds (Lancaster Music Festival)