The Stray Ferret Business Awards 2024 are for businesses across all sectors in the Harrogate district.

Over the next few weeks we will reveal what our judging panel is looking for when it comes to each of the 10 categories.

Next up is the Inclusivity Award, which is sponsored by Kempston-Parkes Chartered Surveyors.

This award is designed to give vital recognition to a company that has demonstrated working practices with a proactive approach to inclusivity.

These businesses have made employees and customers feel welcome, safe and free to be themselves, regardless of nationalities, gender, race or sexual orientations.

Companies looking to enter for the Inclusivity Award need to provide details of the steps they have taken or their policy for inclusivity and, if applicable, provide an example where it has given significant support to an employee or customer.

By giving vital recognition to those who have inclusivity at the heart of their business, we hope others will follow their example.

Does your business deserve to win the Inclusivity Award at the Stray Ferret Business Awards? Entries close on January 19. It’s simple and quick, so enter today!

Click here or the banner below to enter for the Stray Ferret Business Awards, sponsored by Prosperis.

Global critics have awarded Harrogate gins gold, silver and bronze in a competition deemed the Oscars of the drinks industry.

Slingsby Gin Marmalade bagged top of the class in England with an outstanding gold medal in the “other flavoured gin” category at the International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC).

Judging was done “double-blinded’ to ensure impartiality by drinks specialists including master distillers and global drinks business owners.

When awarding Slingsby Marmalade, judges said:

“Think thick cut marmalade with this beautifully balanced and elegant gin. A plump, jammy nose is met with fresh and concentrated flavours. A juicy gin with a marvellous flavour journey. “

Harrogate Tipple won a highly respectful 91 out of 100 in the “London Dry gin” category with its premium Downton Abbey gin and a bronze medal in the “other flavoured gin category” for its first entry with English Rhubarb.

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Founders of the distillery, Steven and Sally Green, use botanicals grown from Ripley Castle where they are based.

Mr Green said to The Stray Ferret:

“The ISWC is the most sought after award in the world. There’s a lot of awards that just want you to pay money but don’t really mean a lot. It’s the one to have, people know about it all around the world.”

Harrogate Tipple sent in premium gin to the 2018 ISWC awards where it won 85 points and scored silver. Since then the grade boundaries have increased, but so has Harrogate Tipple’s sense of competition.

“We entered our premium gin in the 2018 awards and won 85 points, this was before we had launched the Downtown Abbey range. We chose Downtown Abbey because it was mostly set in Ripley and Ripon and Jim Carter, who played Mr Carson, is actually from Harrogate. When I approached Downtown about the gin they were on board straightaway. Making it was a voyage of discovery. We took four or five months perfecting the rhubarb flavour.”

Harrogate Tipple’s prize winning gins

Over 70 countries take part each year in the ISWC which launched in 1969. It was founded by a German/British man called Anton Masse. He was an oenologist, which is someone who studies the science behind wine and wine-making.

Mr Green said:

“We were supposed to be in Vegas tonight to collect two more awards at the Licensing International Excellence Awards which is huge, but obviously we can’t be there. We will be going out tonight and getting drunk to celebrate!”