Hive Awards 2021 winners announced

The ninth annual Blackburn with Darwen Business Awards, known as the Hive Awards, saw nearly 300 guests from some of the region’s leading companies gather to find out who would win coveted trophy.

All organisations entering the awards had to go through a rigorous judging process, including written submissions which were scored by an independent panel, followed by group interviews for most of the award categories.

Entries were narrowed down to just a few finalists in each of the categories.

Ian Brown, chair of the Hive Ambassadors Network, the business group for Blackburn with Darwen which organises the awards every year, said: "It was an incredible night, with some fantastic organisations in the running for an award.

"The atmosphere and support for each other in the room was phenomenal; and I know I speak on behalf of the judges when I say that the high standard of business and passion shown by all the finalists had never been greater."

Full list of winners

• Commitment to Blackburn & Darwen Award - Nybble
• Micro Business of the Year -Cube HR
• Rising Star of the Year - Lee Chambers (Essentialise Workplace Wellbeing)
• Rising Star of the Year - Special Recognition: Jordan Murchie (Sporting NRG)
• Employee of the Year - Jackie Robinson (Laura Hartley Recruitment Ltd)
• Environmental Business of the Year – The Senator Group
• Growth Business of the Year - Star Tissue UK Ltd
• Family Business of the Year - Forest Group
• Small Business of the Year - Sporting NRG Ltd
• The Health, Wellbeing & Social Care Award - PT Health Coaching
• New Business of the Year - Delilah Chloe
• Catering & Hospitality Award - The Whitehall Hotel
• HIVE Entrepreneur of the Year - Neil Bullows (The Whitehall Hotel)
• Investing in Future Skills Award - Ainsworth Jewellers
• Manufacturing Excellence Award - Tek-Dry Systems Ltd
• Professional Services Award - Pierce - Business Advisory And Accountancy Group
• Medium / Large Business of the year - Herbert Parkinson Ltd
• The Hive Chairman's Award - Blackburn Foodbank
• The Arte Et Labore Award - Councillor Mohammed Khan CBE