Rochdale Town Centre Business Awards: Best Eating Place and Best Long Serving Business

Rochdale Town Centre Business Awards 2010/11

Over the past two weeks, members of the public have been voting on Rochdale Online for the Rochdale Town Centre Business Awards 2010/2011. The Awards, which are organised by Rochdale Town Centre Management, have been running since 2007 and celebrate customer service and excellence in the town. Over 55 businesses have applied for this year’s awards which involved filling in a detailed self-nomination form.

This week we feature the final two awards that the public can vote for: Best Eating Place and Best Long Serving Business. The Best Eating Place award recognises and rewards our top cafes, restaurants and pubs, while Best Long Serving Business celebrates the traders who have been in the town for 15 years or over. Best Eating Place is sponsored by EJS Marketing whilst Best Long Serving Business is sponsored by the Rochdale Observer.

The list of Best Eating Place and Best Long Serving Business who have entered this year’s awards are shown below and now readers can now vote for the business that they think deserves to win this year’s awards. To be involved, owners and managers had to fill in a detailed application form, fulfilling the following criteria for Best Eating Place: 

• Choice and variety of menu
• Give evidence of using locally grown, reared, or harvested produce
• The surrounding atmosphere welcoming and in keeping with the style of the menu
• Excellent customer service (e.g. training, policy, personal service)

And the following for Best Long Serving Business: 

• Have been open for 15 years or more in Rochdale
• Flexible trading hours and give examples
• Offer to Rochdale – adding to the diversity and retail mix of the town centre
• Tailored customer service - (e.g. training) and give examples

Each person that votes for any of the Awards will be entered into a prize draw to win £250 to spend in Rochdale town centre.

Elaine Simons, owner of EJS Marketing said: “We are delighted to sponsor the Best Eating Place Award having sampled the wide range of high quality and welcoming restaurants, bars and cafes within the town.”

Gerry Sammon, Editor of the Rochdale Observer said: “The town centre is the hub of our town and our long serving businesses are its heart. They are the town centre businesses that have kept with us through thick and thin and the Rochdale Observer is proud to sponsor this award. It is just a shame there can only be one winner.”

In addition to the public vote, mystery shoppers have also been visiting all the stores over the last few weeks and scoring them on various aspects of their service. In 2 weeks time, a panel of expert judges will come together to decide on the winners and runners-up, based on the application form, public vote and mystery shopping score.

The Award will be presented at the Rochdale Town Centre Business Awards 2010/2011 ceremony on Friday 13 May at The Broadfield Park Hotel.

Tickets for the Awards are now available from the Town Centre Management office on 01706 926676 and preference will be given to Business Awards applicants.

If you would like to vote, tell us why you think the Eating Place or Long Serving Business deserves to win. It is important that you indicate your reason for voting for that person, as the winners and runners-up will be chosen by judges for the best reasons given. The closing date for all votes for the Business Awards is Wednesday 27 April 2011. Please note that only one vote per person will be accepted.

To view the nominations and to vote visit: http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/competitions/town-centre-awards-2011