A BUTCHER, a café, a collectables shop and a neighbourhood bar are among the independent businesses recognised in this year’s Ashton Independent Retail Awards.
The annual awards celebrate the town’s independent retailers, with shoppers casting their votes for their favourite businesses across a range of categories.
A new Bar or Club category was introduced this year to recognise the contribution of Ashton’s hospitality venues.
The winners have highlighted a mix of long-established favourites and newer businesses.
This year’s winners are:
- Fashion/Footwear: Decisions Clothing
- Fresh Food: Briggs Butchers
- Café/Takeaway: Mama Julies
- Jewellers: Cathedral Jewellers
- Hair & Beauty: Liquorice Salon
- Specialist Retail: Rewind Collectables
- Floral, Cards & Gifts: It’s.2.Say
- Market Trader: Alf’s Keys
- Bar or Club: The Nico Ditch
- New Business: Adroit Creations
Deputy Chair of Ashton Town Team, Bill Fairfoull, thanked everyone who supported the awards.
He said: “Thank you to all who took time to vote in this year’s awards. We had some amazing finalists, and it was so tough to select the winners.”
There was also an unexpected honour for Ashton Town Team Chair Val Unwin, who didn’t get directly involved in this year’s award, as she won the Fashion/Footwear category with her shop Decisions Clothing.
Reflecting on the result, Val said: “It was a huge surprise to win this year against popular businesses like Seraphina and New Shu. I know many have been entertained by my antics on social media which I also use to raise awareness of our fabulous independent businesses in the town.”
The Ashton Independent Retail Awards are organised annually by Ashton Town Team and this year’s event was supported through the UK Government’s Pride in Place funding programme.
