The brand new North West Family Business Awards will take place in the Concorde Hangar at The Runway Visitor Park, Manchester Airport on Friday 6^th March 2020, hosted by television and radio presenter Nigel Barden.

The inaugural Awards are set to take off in first class style, underneath the wings of Concorde no less! The glittering awards ceremony will be held in a purpose-built hangar at Manchester Airport that is home to the iconic G-BOAC British Airways Concorde, the famous flagship of the British Airways fleet.

The awards will champion and represent family businesses from all sectors, shapes, sizes and ages and are organised by The Family Business Network.

Sue Howorth, one of the directors of the network, said: “There are so many brilliant family businesses out there and so many amazing individuals and families achieving fantastic results day in day out. But because of the nature of their businesses they are not always first to shout about their successes.

“The Family Business Network and the North West awards gives them that opportunity to celebrate and share their success in a safe, trusted, environment with like-minded people where everyone attending is involved with a family business in one way or another.

“The networking we have seen come out of the Family Business Awards in Cumbria has been incredible with businesses now working together for the first time who had never even talked to each other before, and some who had not even known each other existed!

“It’s hugely powerful and rewarding to champion these success stories, many of which the businesses are sharing for the first time, and to see those connections made which will only help the businesses, and those individuals within those businesses, even further.”

Dave Clarkson, a fellow director of The Family Business Network, said: “The awards, along with the wider Family Business Network, unites the family business community, gives them a voice, a sense of belonging, and a safe and trusted environment where they can be confident in sharing with, and learning from, each other.”

Awards host, food and drink broadcaster Nigel Barden, is from the North West, having grown up on a farm in Lancashire.

He specialises in promoting British ingredients and artisan producers, particularly in his role as chairman of judges for The Great Taste Awards, Farm Shop & Deli Awards, World Cheese Awards, British Cookery School Awards, Deliciously Yorkshire and host of the National Fish & Chip Awards.  

His new show ‘Nigel Barden’s Drivetime Dishes’ is currently airing on Amazon Prime and Simply Good Food TV.  His first podcast ‘A Grand Hotel by Corinthia’, a three-part series featuring chef Tom Kerridge and the Corinthia Hotel, has just been released.

Nigel said: “These awards are a great way of family businesses right across the region showcasing their fantastic talents.

“I know from by background and from the work I do with food and drink producers that family businesses are a fantastic community, where there is a willingness to share success, and learn from each other’s achievements.

“I would urge any family business which would like to raise its profile, connect with other family businesses, and celebrate their own people and their own business success to enter these awards.”

Entries open at midnight on the10th October 2019 and will close on the 16^th January 2020. Finalists will be chosen through a judging process ahead of the ceremony on March 6^th 2020.

Sponsorship for some categories has already been sold out. Businesses interested in finding out what sponsorship opportunities are available are invited to contact [email protected] 07866 536050 or [email protected] 07908 783305.