Havering Small Business Awards
The 2023 competition
The Council received over 4,200 nominations throughout the two-week nomination period for this year’s Havering Small Business Awards 2022/23, with more than 430 individual small businesses put forward for awards.
The final round closed at 5pm on Wednesday 29 March 2023. The businesses with the most votes in each of the categories were crowned at a celebratory event on 17 May 2023, at the Premiere Cinema in Romford.
A special award, ‘The Havering Small Business of the Year Award’, was chosen from the category winners by a panel of judges including the Council and event sponsors.
Many thanks to our sponsors for this year’s awards:
- Key sponsor - The Romford Business Improvement District (BID)
- Media partner - Time 107.5 FM
Category sponsors and supporters:
- Best hospitality - Hills Prospect
- Best newcomer - Havering Chamber of Commerce and Industry
- Best social enterprise/CIC -SEGRO
- Best customer service - ITS
- Best small or independent business - Quantum Group
Follow the Havering Small Business Awards 2022/23 on social media by searching #HaveringSBA.
Best newcomer (less than a year old), supported by Havering Chamber of Commerce and Industry
- The Bubbly Bar - 659 votes - Winner
- Juju’s The Style Closet - 506 votes
- Light and Shade Counselling - 381 votes
Best beauty or retail business
- The Beauty Room - 1,000 votes - Winner
- Elliott Dean - 600 votes
- Hair Lounge - 420 votes
Best takeaway
- Ped’s Pizza - 1,082 votes - Winner
- NUGS - 614 votes
- Lighthouse Fish and Chips - 438 votes
Best social enterprise or CIC
- The Baby Bank HQ - 809 votes - Winner
- Dicing with Life - 327 votes
- Super Thinkers - 252 votes
Best tradesperson
- ADL Air Conditioning - 601 votes - Winner
- Mawney Security - 441 votes
- BMG services - 411 votes
Best customer experience, sponsored by ITS
- Bear with the Hair - 837 votes - Winner
- Family Health Hub - 647 votes
- Wrigglers - 639 votes
Best shopfront
- Best Sellers - 1,042 votes - Winner
- Ellie’s Finishing Touches - 943 votes
- Light and Shade Counselling - 297 votes
Best hospitality business, sponsored by Hills Prospect
- Ped’s Pizza - 1,069 votes - Winner
- Café 108 - 836 votes
- Brookside Theatre - 659 votes
Best small or independent business
- Best Sellers - 1,397 votes - Winner
- Hollywood Dogs - 757 votes
- New Heights Fitness - 408 votes
All votes for the nominations round and the final round removed all duplicate, late or unverifiable votes.
Overall we had 19,116 votes cast during the nominations and final rounds (up from 15,634 for 2021/22)
The first nine categories are open to nominations from all residents, with the final award, the ‘Havering Small Business of the Year’ chosen from the winners of the other awards by a panel of Council officers and sponsors.
Best Small or Independent Business
Small and independent retailers and businesses make up the backbone of Havering’s economy.
From the family-owned bakers, boutiques and florists, to independent care companies or solicitors, this award celebrates the best of Havering’s small businesses.
Nominees must not be owned or managed by a larger corporation, including a franchise business. Independent businesses with more than one premises are eligible to enter.
Sponsored by Quantum Group.
Best Beauty or Service Business
Beauty parlours have been a staple of the British high street for decades, with the range of treatments continuing to grow through the years.
From nail bars to hairdressers, masseurs to tattoo artists, this award is open for businesses that have kept us looking and feeling great.
If you would like to discuss sponsorship this category, please contact communications@havering.gov.uk.
Best Take Away
Where would we be without the Great British take away?
Whatever you’re in the mood for, be it Fish and Chips, Pizzas, Asian food, or something entirely different, Havering has an impeccable selection of take away restaurants to cater for everyone’s taste – and we all have our favourites.
If you would like to discuss sponsorship this category, please contact communications@havering.gov.uk.
Best Hospitality Business
From pubs, bars and clubs, restaurants and cafes, to independent hotels, now is your chance to champion your favourite hospitality business in Havering.
Nominees must be small and independent businesses.
Franchises or chain restaurants are not eligible for this award.
Sponsored by Hills Prospect.
Best Tradesperson
We couldn’t celebrate Havering’s wealth of small businesses without recognising the tradespeople that always save the day.
From plumbers to electricians, gardeners to carpenters, this award is for sole traders or independent tradespeople who always deliver the best service for the people of Havering and are always on hand when disaster strikes.
If you would like to discuss sponsorship this category, please contact communications@havering.gov.uk.
Best Customer Experience
Customer care is vital to the success of a business, it’s important that businesses, especially small and independent ones, maintain good relationships with customers.
We want to receive nominations for small businesses that are always looking to help customers and their communities, whether there’s always a smiling face behind the counter, or a polite voice on the other end of the phone.
Sponsored by ITS.
Best Shopfront
A great-looking shopfront can set you aside from the competition on your high street.
We all know that one shop that pushes window-dressing to the extreme - whether that’s a themed holiday, or a pristine presentation all year round.
Nominations for this award must include a picture of the shopfront and anything we need to know that sets your nomination apart from anyone else.
If you would like to discuss sponsorship this category, please contact communications@havering.gov.uk.
Best Social Enterprise or CIC
It has never been more important to pay tribute to social enterprises and community interest companies (CICs) across the borough, many of which jumped at a moment's notice to help the community.
This is your chance to shine a spotlight on these hidden heroes of Havering.
Nominees must be registered as a social enterprise or community interest company to be eligible for this award.
If you would like to discuss sponsorship this category, please contact communications@havering.gov.uk.
Best Newcomer (less than a year old)
Havering has been called the Start-up Capital of London – and it is easy to see why, with so many fantastic new businesses setting up for the first time in our borough.
From small online shops to start-up tech SMEs, this award recognises the best new small business in Havering that was set up in 2022.
Note: Nominees must have begun trading from 13 February 2022 to be eligible for this award. Businesses that were trading before February 2022 can still be nominated for other awards.
Supported by Havering Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The Havering Small Business of the Year Award
The Havering Small Business of the Year Award is a special award given to one of the winners from the other categories.
This award will be selected by a panel including the Council and sponsors, and given to the small business that we feel represents the very best that Havering has to offer.
Main sponsor, Romford Business Improvement District.
Terms and conditions
A small business is a business with fewer than 50 employees.
Nominations must be completed using the online form.
The top three businesses that receive the most nominations for each category will go through to the final voting round.
In the event of a tie, a panel will choose which businesses to go through based on the strength of each nomination.
Havering Council reserves the right to refuse nominations, or exclude finalists if they do not meet these conditions.
Businesses subject to trading standards or public protection investigations or breaches may be excluded – exclusions will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
The winner of each category will receive a trophy, certificate, and vinyl window sticker naming the business a winner.
Prizes cannot be exchanged for cash.
Havering Council reserves the right to postpone or cancel the awards at any time.
Nominees must not be owned or managed by a larger corporation.
Independent businesses with more than one premises are eligible to enter.
Franchises, chain restaurants and brewery-owned pubs are not eligible for these award.