Return of Rochdale Town Centre Business Awards

Last year's Rochdale Ambassador, Cathryn Dolinsky of Greggs, with award sponsors Pauline Journeaux & Keith Swift of Rochdale Online

Next month will see the return of the Rochdale Town Centre Business Awards following the successful inaugural event in September last year.

The event will take place on Friday 5 September, 6pm, at China City on Nelson Street, and will recognise the great customer service that the organisers, Rochdale Town Centre Management, believe is present every day at businesses in the town centre.

The awards aim to build on the pride that was built up by last years' event and on other recent successes for Rochdale businesses, such as Nutters Restaurant and Moss Lodge Hotel's victories at the Manchester Tourism Awards and Norden's Heroes nomination as best outlet at the upcoming Manchester food and drink awards.

Rochdale Online will be sponsoring the Rochdale Ambassador of the Year award for the second year running. Managing Director Pauline Journeaux said: "Last year's Town Centre Business Awards was a huge success and a celebration of the passion that is in the town. We are really looking forward to another excellent night of great food and entertainment."

The awards, sponsored by Rochdale Council, will be based on 'Mystery Customer’ visits that will take place over the next few weeks, in many different Town Centre businesses, including shops, bars, restaurants, banks, gyms and recruitment agencies.

The 'Mystery Customer’ visits will allow managers to monitor how well their business is performing in terms of customer service, merchandising, cleanliness and presentation. Once the results are collated for each of the businesses involved, comparisons will be made between the experiences that the 'Mystery Customers’ had on each occasion.

The Award categories will be as follows:

• Best Business Overall (sponsored by Rochdale Development Agency) 
• Best National Retailer (sponsored by Rochdale Exchange) 
• Best Independent Retailer (sponsored by Anthony k Associates Ltd) 
• Best Service Provider (sponsored by Northern Employment Services) 
• Best Food Retailer (sponsored by The Broadfield Hotel) 
• Best Customer Service (sponsored by Rochdale Council Customer Services) 
• Best Bar None – Best Pub (sponsored by China City) 
• Best Bar None – Best Bar/Club (sponsored by Rochdale Safer Communities Partnership) 
• Best Bar None – Best Overall (sponsored by Rochdale Council Licensing) 
• Employee of the Year (sponsored by the Rochdale Observer) 
• Rochdale Town Centre Ambassador (sponsored by Rochdale Online) 
• Best Long Serving Business (sponsored by Wilson Bowden) 

Suzy Woods from Rochdale Town Centre Management said: "We are looking forward to a fantastic, young, vibrant and enjoyable event."