Celebration time for winners at Gosport Business Awards

It was a night of celebration at St Vincent College’s Jervis Gallery as winners toasted their success at the 2024 Gosport Business Awards.

The awards, organised by the college and partners The News, Portsmouth, Gosport Borough Council and 22 Midnight, saw winners announced in eight categories. Executive Principal Andy Grant praised the quality of the entries as he congratulated everyone shortlisted.

“Well done to all of the winners, I know the judges had a really tough time making decisions because of the extremely high quality of the entries,” he said. “It was fantastic to see so many people in the Jervis Gallery having an enjoyable evening and meeting people.

“It’s always wonderful to see the community come together and these awards gave the businesses who are the lifeblood of our community the chance to have their enterprise, innovation and hard work recognised.”

The revived awards, last held in the town 13 years ago, were sponsored by aviation company StandardAero, developer Daedalus Waterfront, creative agency Frost Creative and brewer Powder Monkey. “We’d like to thank all of the sponsors for their generous support,” said Mr Grant. “They typify the community spirit among the business community here and I’m glad they enjoyed the event.”

The big winner on the night was Blitz Photography, owned by Steve and George Reid. They were crowned Business of the Year as well as winning the Independent Cultural and Creativity Award. The former Portsmouth News photographer set up the company with his wife in 2012 and have become stalwarts of the community, taking part and helping organise many events in the town.

Chill and Charge, which designs and rents custom mobile device charging solutions, won the Commitment to Supporting Talent in Business award. Judges said they were impressed by the way the company developed and nurtured its staff.

The winner of the Commitment to Sustainability award was My First Steps baby store. Judges praised its dedication to sustainable practices throughout their business and the way it prioritises ethically sourced, eco-friendly products. It also promotes the local high street, reducing unnecessary deliveries and packaging.

The Book Shop in Lee on Solent was named Independent Retail Business of the Year for its innovative approach to competing with big online retailers and also for its contribution to the community, including donating 800 books last year to encourage children to read.

The winner of the Small Business of the Year was Indelible Ink Custom Tattoo Studio, which impressed judges with the way it is using its creativity and expertise to inki the name of Gosport on the international map.

Powder Monkey brewery won the Best Use of Heritage in Business for its conversion of the historic naval gunpowder store in Priddy’s Hard

The Four Ale Taproom raised a glass to celebrate winning the Independent Tourism/Hospitality Business award. The judges were impressed with the impressive growth through of the business, run by the Bull family, through renovating, and in some cases saving, a number of the area’s historic pubs, as well as for its connection to the community’s heritage by converting old hovercraft seats into booths in one of its hostelries.

The Start-up Business of the Year award went to Anchored in Gosport for its work in breathing life back into the town’s weekly market as well curating bespoke monthly markets. The judges praised the way the company brings something to all of the community and opens up opportunities for other businesses to engage.