City Competition Catering For Success

Belfast City Council will honour the achievements of the hospitality sector in the city when it hosts the Belfast Business Awards this year.

The prestigious event will take place in the City Hall on Thursday 14 April with 21 awards presented in recognition of the fine work of business enterprises, retail outlets and businessmen and women across the city.

Hosted by UTV celebrity Marc Mallett, (pictured) the awards are organised by Belfast City Council with support from Belfast City Centre Management (BCCM) and Victoria Square - Principal Sponsor of the Awards this year.

Among the coveted awards' categories up for grabs are awards for the Best City Hotel, Best Bar or Pub, Best Restaurant and Best Café or Coffee Shop.

Graeme Finegan from Grounded Espresso won the Best Café or Coffee Shop Award at the Belfast Business Awards last year.

He said: "Winning the Best Café or Coffee Shop Award gave the Grounded Espresso Bar's staff a huge boost of pride and motivation. The award was given to the café as a result of the staff performing brilliantly every day and with the staff being motivated and confident in their workplace, this has benefited my customers in return.

"Being an 'out of town' business, the award has also raised awareness to people unfamiliar with the amazing offer Grounded on the Boucher Road has - the publicity generated from the awards has really given us an edge when it comes it winning corporate catering and venue hire contracts. I believe it is very important to reward good business in Belfast as these awards do."

Councillor Conor Maskey, Chairman of Belfast City Council's Development Committee, said: "The Belfast Business Awards will give local businesses a unique opportunity to gain recognition for the excellent contribution they make towards the overall development of our city.

"I would call on businesses from the hospitality sector to enter the awards. Simply getting though to the final will raise an organisation's profile amongst its peers but just as important is the huge boost it will give to internal morale. To win an award will be a mark of quality that will bring real prestige to that individual business."

Hugh Black, Centre Manager of Victoria Square, said: "We are delighted to be supporting the prestigious Belfast Business Awards as lead sponsor, following the success of the previous year`s awards.

"These awards are unique in recognising and presenting businesses with the opportunity to gain recognition for the excellent contribution they make towards the overall development of our city."

For any business in the city planning to enter the awards, they can download an application form from the Belfast Business Awards website: www.belfastbusinessawards.com

They can also contact our partner organisers Belfast City Centre Management on 028 9024 2111 for a hard copy application form.

The deadline for receipt of completed entry forms is 4pm on Friday 18 February.

(BMcC/GK)