The team at a Yorkshire coast brewery and Yorkshire’s first whisky distillery are celebrating after being announced as finalists in the 9th annual Scarborough News Excellence in Business awards.

Wold Top Brewery has been shortlisted in the new Rural Business category that celebrates businesses based in a rural community, and sister company, Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery has reached the final of the Best Independent Business Award. Both businesses have been shortlisted for the Sustainability award.

Co-founder of both Wold Top and Spirit of Yorkshire, Tom Mellor said: “Both businesses have shown great resilience during the last two years and it’s a credit to both teams to be shortlisted in these prestigious awards.”

Wold Top is run by Mellor’s daughter, Kate and husband Alex Balchin, and his other daughter, Jenni Ashwood, is the marketing director at Spirit of Yorkshire.

The winners of the awards will be announced at a gala dinner on Thursday 30th November 2023 at The Scarborough Spa. Wold Top faces competition from Nature’s Laboratory Limited, Humble Bee Farm and Sam Noble Eyecare Ltd, whilst Spirit of Yorkshire is joined by Impactful Marketing, Reaper Agency UK Ltd, Futureworks NY, SWL Keepsakes and Lilly’s Treasures Gift Boutique in the final. Mulgrave Estate is the third finalist in the Sustainability category.

Farm-based Wold Top brews cask, keg and bottled ales from home and Wolds grown malting barley, hops and pure, chalk-filtered Yorkshire Wolds water.

Home to Filey Bay single malt whisky, Spirit of Yorkshire is a field to bottle distillery that was launched in 2016, with its first single malt whisky bottled in 2019. It is a collaboration between farmer and brewer, Tom Mellor from Wold Top and business partner, David Thompson. It is one of only a handful of distilleries worldwide that uses 100% home-grown wheat to produce its whisky.