Businesses from across the UK gathered to celebrate success at this year's Lloyds Banking Group English Asian Business Awards .
There were sixteen awards presented at the Mercure Hotel, Manchester, with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award won by to husband and wife team, Dr Sanjay and Dr Shikha Patalia, while TV personality and advertising/tech guru, Tas nim Lucia Khan took home the Entrepreneur of the Year award.
With over 300 attendees, including golden glove champion and actor Joe Egan, Author Fiaz Rafiq and DJ Noreen Khan, the black tie event was hosted by Miss United Kingdom Supranational, Rachelle Perez along with businessman and chef director at Mushtaq’s Restaurant, Ajmal Mushtaq.
KQF managing director Faruk Vali said, “We are delighted to have done so well and we're especially proud that the nominations for the English Asian Business Awards came not from ourselves but from our customers.
“We're touched that consumers regard us so highly and I'd personally like to thank all those who nominated KQF or our Sara’s brand. We’re very much looking forward to hearing the results and hoping, of course, for a win.”
Operations Director of event organisers, Yasmin Mahmood said, “It was a fantastic evening and a great pleasure to be amongst some truly inspiring individuals. Congratulations to all the winners are finalist and we thank all the attendees and partners for the continuing support to grow the eve nt year on year”.
Martyn Kendrick, area director for SME Banking in t he North West, Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “Having met with the talented profes sionals at the English Asian Business Awards on Monday evening, I was impressed by both t he variety and quality of businesses in the competition.
“I’d like to offer my congratulations to this year ’s winners, who have shown that with a clear and concise business idea and determination it is p ossible to build a successful company in
any sector or marketplace.”
The Awards also helped raise over £3,500 for the of ficial charity partner, The Well Foundation, who aim to raise money to build wells, install hand pumps and establish health and sanitation programs to provide accessible clean water to the stricken regions of the world.
And the winners are:
Young Achiever of the Year
Rishi Chowdhury (IncuBus Ventures,
Twickenham)
Rising Star Award
Dr Farah Ahmed (Boots WebMD)
The Community Award
Saheli (Manchester)
Convenience Retailer of the Year
Nisa Local/Ruprai Food & Wine (Birmingham)
Retail Business of the Year
Ambala Foods (Hertfordshire)
Online Business of the Year
Little Putar
Best Professional of the Year
Dr. Esmail Harunani (Dentistry For You, London)
New Business of the Year
LOBO Meat & Poultry (London)
Small Business of the Year
Archie’s Burgers & Shakes (Manchester)
Family Run Business
Secret Sales (London)
Businessman of the Year
Aneel Mussarat (MCR Properties, Manchester)
Businesswoman of the Year
Kala Patel (Kiddycare Nurseries, Leicester)
Business of the Year
KQF (Blackburn)
Power Business of the Year
Natco Foods (Buckingham)
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