Pictured above: Ilkeston and Long Eaton Award
winners
Owners of shops, market stalls, cafes and pubs in Ilkeston and
Long Eaton are celebrating after customers voted for them to win in
the good town trader awards scheme.
The awards recognise and celebrate the achievements of
businesses in the two town centres and reward them for their
commitment to excellence and customer service.
The scheme is organised by enterprise agency Erewash Partnership
with the borough council's Pride in Erewash campaign, and aims to
highlight the attraction of shopping locally.
In some cases winners are celebrating repeated success. Florist
Buds N Blooms of South Street, Ilkeston, has blossomed into a four
times winner of the award for best window display.
Owner Lynne Thompson, who took over the business five years ago,
said that winning the same award for four successive years was
wonderful.
"It's nice to be recognised. It's good to know that shoppers
notice the hard work that we constantly put into our window
displays with changing themes and seasons," she said.
"I suspect our Christmas displays earn us some votes because we
particularly put an emphasis on attracting the children.
"Last year for Mother's Day we had children from Cantelupe Kids'
School at St Mary's church make handprints which we turned into
flowers for the big window."
It is also the fourth successive year that Whirls Café in
South Street, Ilkeston, has won an award. For the last three years
it has won an award for best café and this year it won the
award for cleanest shop front.
Over at Long Eaton Pete's Upper Crust Café in the High
Street has won the award for best restaurant/café for the
second successive year.
There has been a café on the site for 15 years but Pete
Thein took it over three years ago and is pleased with the
back-to-back success.
"We have built up a good trade now, even in the recession," he
said. "Our customers are quite loyal."
"We have a four star rating as well from Erewash Borough Council
for food and hygiene."
His recipe for success is "our good home quality cooking at
reasonable prices served by friendly staff."
The awards - a trophy and a certificate - were presented by the
Mayor of Erewash, Councillor Terry Holbrook, and Erewash market
towns co-ordinator Paul Calladine at separate ceremonies in the
Partnership's Offices in Wharncliffe Road, Ilkeston, and at Long
Eaton Town Hall.
Paul Calladine said: "These awards matter because they are
decided on votes by shoppers themselves, the people who regularly
visit these places and spend their money there".
The awards are: best restaurant/café: Ilkeston - Ilkeston
Coffee Bean, Long Eaton - Pete's Upper Crust Café; best pint
and pub grub: Ilkeston - Belle Vue, Long Eaton - Lockstone; best
place to buy local food: Ilkeston - 5-A-Day, Long Eaton - Asda;
best customer service: Ilkeston - Dance-Rite, Long Eaton - Wild
Goose Café; most attractive market stall: Ilkeston -
Collishaw Plants, Long Eaton - Cheryl's Haberdashery; most friendly
trader to babies and children: Ilkeston - MCS Ilkeston Department
Store, Long Eaton - Tesco; most friendly store to disabled people:
Ilkeston - Camomile, Long Eaton - Hall's Catering; cleanest shop
front: Ilkeston - Whirls café, Long Eaton - Holland and
Barrett; best window display: Ilkeston - Buds N Blooms, Long
Eaton - Welch Florists; super sandwich: Ilkeston - Truly
Scrumptious, Long Eaton - Café Zing.