Celebrating a decade of excellence at 2026 Ilkley Business Awards
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- 3 min read
The winners of the 10th Ilkley Business Awards have been revealed.
Marking the 10th anniversary, the night on Friday 6 March was a resounding success, bringing together the vibrant Ilkley business community to celebrate a decade of local excellence and innovation.
The black-tie ceremony at the Craiglands Hotel, was a milestone event attended by key dignitaries including Robbie Moore MP, Town Mayor, Cllr Jane Gibson, Dep Town Mayor, Cllr Amanda Simmonds, former Town Mayor, Cllr Steve Butler, and Town Crier Isabel Ashman, alongside Sarah Brookfield-Almond, Ilkley BID Manager, David Shaw MBE, Chair of the Ilkley Business Forum and Adam Daniel of Your Ilkley Radio.
Julia Forrester of TaxAssist Accountants and Chair of the Ilkley Business Awards committee, delivered a heartwarming speech highlighting the 10-year milestone. Having been involved since the very beginning, Julia shared a moving tribute to the past decade of winners and thanked those who have been instrumental in the awards' longevity.
The 2026 awards mark the end of an era as the current committee prepares to hand over the reins.
Julia expressed deep gratitude to the dedicated team she has led over the past four years, a group that has worked seamlessly together to deliver the event's success.
This core team includes Caz Stewart (Ideal Extraction), who utilised her event management skills to lead the charge; Debra and Simon Hawkshaw (Bathe of Wharfedale), who managed vital logistics from trophies to winners' wine, Jos Mountcastle (JCM Website Design), the digital expert behind the website, marketing, social media, and print and finally, David Waterhouse, who has played a key role as the 'voice of the awards' while serving as Master of Ceremonies for the last five consecutive years.
Looking ahead, it was announced that Ilkley BID and Your Ilkley Radio will take over as the official event organisers for 2027 onwards, ensuring the awards continue to flourish as a cornerstone of the local business calendar.
The winners across the 12 categories are as follows:
New Business of the Year 2026 sponsored by Elite Accountancy
The Little Calf
Rising Star of the Year 2026 sponsored by Ideal Extraction
Grace Andrews – Home Instead Ilkley
Professional Services Business of the Year 2026 sponsored by Ashlands Veterinary Centre
LCF Law
Side Hustle Business of the Year 2026 sponsored by Elliot Rose Consultancy
The Paint Box Menston
Excellence in Care Business of the Year 2026 sponsored by Ilkley Town Council
Right at Home Ilkley
Food, Drink & Entertainment Business of the Year 2026 sponsored by One Tivoli Place
Martinez Wine
B2B Business of the Year 2026 sponsored by Leap into Languages
Ideal Extraction
Hair & Beauty Business of the Year 2026 sponsored by Mayfield View Care Home
Claire Wareham Hair Specialists
Health & Wellbeing Business of the Year 2026 sponsored by James Hall Coaching
A Tidy Mind Team
Best Boss of the Year 2026 sponsored by LCF Law
Nicky Harris – The Driving Academy
B2C Business of the Year 2026 sponsored by Esscroft Private Nursery
Full Circle Funerals Ilkley
Long Serving Staff Member of the Year 2026 sponsored by Right at Home Ilkley
Dom O’Sullivan – The Craiglands Hotel
Jenny Chapman – Ashlands Veterinary Centre
Jodie Pope – OnePay
Stuart Baker – Lishman’s of Ilkley
In a special 10th Anniversary twist that delighted the room, the judges announced that the standard of entries for the Long Serving Staff Member category was so exceptional that they could not choose just one winner. To mark this milestone year, all finalists in the category were crowned joint winners, honouring their collective dedication and years of service to the Ilkley business community.
As well as the category sponsors listed above, huge thanks are extended to the headline sponsors Ilkley BID and Your Ilkley Radio, as well as the following event sponsors: A Tidy Mind, Bar Events UK, Bathe of Wharfedale, Craiglands Hotel, Event Music Company, Fusion Chocolate, Home Instead Ilkley, Ideal Extraction, JCM Website Design, Pi Healthcare, TaxAssist Accountants, The Ilkley Shoe Company, and White Top Productions.
For more details about the business awards please visit www.ilkleybusinessawards.co.uk.
