Celebrating our district - Stratford Herald Business and Tourism Awards are open for entries
THE Stratford Herald Business and Tourism Awards are back for a fourth year, offering businesses across the district a chance to celebrate their success.
The 2025 event, which once again includes Stratford District Council as the headline sponsor, features 13 categories, covering a wide range of businesses, charities and attractions, as well as the chance of being named the area’s Business of the Year.
Last year that honour went to the Village Store in Bishop’s Itchington which also scooped the Best New Business category.
Joint owners of the store – Orla Horsman and Bee White – were the only double award winners on the night and were “absolutely elated” with their wins just three years after opening their venture.
Following the awards finale at the Crowne Plaza in October, Orla told the Herald: “Bee and I used to go for long walks during Covid where we dreamed up various business ideas. My background is 25 years in social work and Bee is a mother, a baby foster carer and has a business degree.
“Our strategy for the store was to try everything and see what would stick – we wanted to experiment. We didn’t want to be only selling newspapers and other shop items, but we did want to try a café, shop and deli mix that was full of local produce, honey, jams, wine, cider, spirits and beer and we wanted to use our village resources and those nearby so anything like cakes, bread and croissants can come from Lower Quinton, Chesterton and Stratford, so our suppliers are local.”
This year’s categories are:
Best Online Business
Best Family Business, sponsored by Shakespeare’s Schoolroom and Guildhall
Team of the Year
Community Support Award, sponsored by Stratford-upon-Avon School
Top Attraction, sponsored by Crowne Plaza hotel
Best Business Innovation, sponsored by Porterbrook
Employer of the Year, sponsored by Stratford College
Employee of the Year, sponsored by Stratford District Council
Best New Business
Charity of the Year, sponsored by Royal Shakespeare Company
Best Customer Experience, sponsored by Stratford BID
Best Green Business
Best Pub/Bar/Restaurant
Business of the Year, sponsored by Shakespeare Martineau
The table sponsor on the night is Shakespeare’s England while Wright Engineering is the programme sponsor.
We will also welcome back RSC actor Christopher Saul as the host for the awards finale, which will be at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Stratford on Friday, 17th October.
Andy Veale, editor of the Stratford Herald, said: “We look forward to once again receiving all your entries for this year’s Stratford Herald Business and Tourism Awards 2025.
“These awards are open to all of the businesses and charities in the Stratford district no matter if they are large or small, new or a long-running enterprise – we want to hear your success stories and give your firms the recognition they deserve.
“The entry system is really easy for anyone to nominate a business, tourist attraction or charity – simply log on to the website below and follow the instructions. Entries can come from the businesses, customers, trustees or anyone who believes the organisation is worthy of an award. Nominated businesses and groups will be contacted to ensure our independent judges get all of the information they need to assess entries against our criteria.
“The awards, which are free to enter thanks to the support of our sponsors, are open to all businesses, groups and attractions in the Stratford district – so get nominating now.”
The only award which cannot be directly entered is the Business of the Year– this is chosen by our judges from all of the finalists.
Nominations close at 5pm on Friday, 15th August. Each entry will be measured against the category criteria and the judges’ four selected finalists in each will be announced in the Herald on Thursday, 28th August.
For sponsorship opportunities, contact Sharon Higgins on 01789 412808. You can also email andy.veale@stratford-herald.com for further details.
To nominate, visit https://stratfordheraldawards.co.uk/2025/en/page/home
