The winners of the 2024 Test Valley Business Awards have been announced, marking a wonderful evening that celebrated excellence in business across the Test Valley.
Photo Credits Credit to: AndreapennA Photography / www.andreapenna.co.uk
The milestone 20th-anniversary awards ceremony took place last night at The Museum of Army Flying in Middle Wallop, with over 150 local business representatives in attendance. Esteemed guests included The Worshipful Mayor, Councillor Ian Jeffrey, and Mayoress Maura Jeffery, who joined in celebrating the region’s business achievements. Attendees enjoyed a delicious meal by Michelin Star caterers McCrimmon & Reid, and had the chance to network and connect with other professionals.
The evening’s special guest, Toni Kent, delivered a resounding speech focused on promoting social mobility and addressing poverty, which left a lasting impression on attendees. Additionally, celebrated guests David Gleave and Denise Goodall, co-founders of the awards, were presented with champagne as a token of appreciation for their efforts in supporting the local business community. In memory of the third founder, Mark Edgerley, who sadly passed away earlier this year, a burrowing owl and meadow plot were adopted at The Hawk Conservancy as a tribute to his love of wildlife.
Master of ceremonies Andrew Bulpitt, Finance Director at Bulpitt Print, along with presenter Dmitrijis Meiksans, an award-winning entrepreneur at the Local Marketing Company, entertained the crowd and kept the evening flowing, building anticipation for the awards announcement.
The awards celebrated 21 exceptional finalists across seven categories. The winners of the 2024 Test Valley Business Awards are as follows:
Business in the Community Award – sponsored by Barratt David Wilson Homes Southampton
Winner: Stannah
Highly commended: Finkley Down Farm, Ironsight Activities
Sustainability Award – sponsored by Test Valley Borough Council
Winner: Preformed Line Products (PLP)
Highly commended: EP Projects, Lemon & Jinja
Business Innovation and Technology Award – sponsored by University of Southampton Science Park
Winner: Ilika Technologies
Highly commended: Pudsey Diamond Engineering (PDE), Botlib AI
New Business of the Year Award – sponsored by Access Care
Winner: K&B Sewing Machines
Highly commended: Phat App, Bridge End Alpacas
Small Business of the Year Award – sponsored by Parker Bullen
Winner: Emily The Physio
Highly commended: Nidge’s Artisan Pizza Kitchen, Tembo Cleaning Service
Young Business Person of the Year Award – sponsored by The Sparsholt College Group
Winner: Georgina Sutton-Welch – Innoveq
Highly commended: India Seddon – Sit Walk Stay, Rebecca Cork – Paultons Golf Centre
Rural Business of the Year Award – sponsored by The Oak, Smannell
Winner: TH White Pro Agri
Highly commended: Army Flying Museum, Oaktrack Smallholding
Reflecting on the night, Katie Brooks, Chairman of the Test Valley Business Awards, said, “I’m grateful to all who attended this evening and participated in this year’s awards. It truly was an honour to celebrate so many inspiring, deserving professionals who epitomise excellence. I’d like to thank our sponsors, finalists, and esteemed guests for making the 2024 awards such a success.”
As the Test Valley Business Awards celebrates 20 years, it continues to champion business excellence through the efforts of its volunteer Board of Directors and the generous support of sponsors and the local community.