Back in business: The Times Business Awards return with LBC’s Nick Ferrari as host

Best in the business

The Times Business Awards are back for 2023 with esteemed broadcast journalist Nick Ferrari as the event’s guest host. Lilly Croucher takes a look at what’s to come and reveals more about the categories and how you can be part of one of the best nights of our borough’s social calendar on March 30

he Times Business Awards returns for its sixth year this spring with a popular LBC radio presenter now confirmed T as the guest host. Media personality, Nick Ferrari will be presenting the prestigious awards which are put on by

SO’s sister publication the Times of Tunbridge Wells in order to celebrate our brilliant business and entrepreneurial community.

The event is taking place on

March 30 in the Victoria Theatre at Salomon’s Estate in Tunbridge

Wells and promises to be another amazing night. Since they began in 2016 the Times Business Awards shine a spotlight on those businesses – both big and small, new and established – who are really making a difference in our borough and beyond. Over the years the winners’ gala evening has been hosted by a slew of famous names including former MPs Michael Portillo and Edwina Currie, Radio 2’s

Ken Bruce and Strictly Come

Dancing’s Anton du Beke. And although they were unable “For 2023 there will be two brand new Times Business Awards categories. They are for Green Business and Charity of the Year”

to take place during 2020 and 2021 due to lockdown measures the awards certainly made a dramatic return in March 2022 with over 200 attendees eager for the opportunity to network again. Last year’s event was hosted by TV personality and journalist Eamonn Holmes who went down a storm with guests chatting and agreeing to selfies!

The awards are open to everyone from multimillionpound businesses to independent entrepreneurs and small start-ups. And if any of them are lucky to be shortlisted then companies can buy tickets to the finalists’ black tie gala night to celebrate their achievements and that of the wider business community.

With ten categories to choose from, the winners of each one will be recognised on stage as the best in what they do. Entries are open now and include Creative Business of the Year, Best Company under 25 employees and Best in Food & Drink.

For 2023 awards there will be two brand new categories. They are for Green Business, which will recognise companies who

are environmentally conscious by using eco-friendly initiatives such as localising supply chains or reducing energy usage.

And the second will be for Charity of the Year award where charities and not-for-profit organisations will be honoured for the positive and vital role they play in the local area. Judges will be looking for impact, sustainability and imagination.

Entrepreneurs will also be recognised with Start-up Business of the Year and Entrepreneur of the Year. While other awards will celebrate the diversity of local businesses including sectors such as hospitality, creativity and tech.

Applications are now open and are free to enter. The closing date however is February 20 so with just a month or so left you don’t have long to get your entry in to be in with a chance of winning one of these coveted awards.

Good luck!

Entry forms will be available at TimesBusinessAwards.co.uk

Times Business Awards Categories:

Start-Up business of the Year Award

Companies which were founded in the past two years that are going from strength to strength

Creative Business of the Year

This is a strong sector for Tunbridge Wells, covering the creative, design, marketing and PR firms that have made our town their home.

Entrepreneur of the Year

An entrepreneur is more than just a business person. Entrepreneurs turn their idea into opportunities and may run more than one company.

Green Business of the Year

This new award category will recognise companies for their commitment to the environment, whether through reducing energy usage, ‘localising’ their supply chains or any other green initiatives.

Charity of the Year

In this new award category, judges will assess the charities and not-forprofit organisations which play such a positive role in the life of our area, looking for impact, sustainability, and imagination.

Best in Food and Drink

This award is for the local companies producing or serving truly remarkable food and drink. Entries are welcome from fine dining restaurants, gastropubs, simple cafes and food and drink producers. The category is open to any company which can demonstrate how it puts Tunbridge Wells or its local area on the map courtesy of its gastronomic excellence.

Best Family Business of the Year

The judges will be looking for the businesses that best demonstrate how running a family firm has added significantly to its competitive advantage. The winner will need to show how being a family business has had a positive impact on its achievements. Best Business 1-25 employees

This award category is for the companies with a workforce of up to 25 which have maintained consistent growth and strong financial performance, both in meeting customers’ expectations and supporting its employees’ welfare and growth.

Best business 26+ employees

Consistent growth, financial performance and an engaged, positive workforce are just some of the criteria that set these companies apart from other medium to large businesses in the area.

Outstanding Business of the Year

This award will reveal which company demonstrates the best combination of growth, ambition and quality of management in the area. The ‘outstanding’ company will have delivered on a compelling business strategy, while developing its employees’ skills and looking after staff.

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A New Year a New You!!

Let’s get Financially Fit!

The beginning of a new year can be rather daunting, wondering what lays ahead, but in other ways it can also be quite liberating, a clean slate, a time to renew, a time to refocus, which is why so many people decide to sort out their fitness in January but perhaps we should also look to become financially fit too. Once all the festivities are over, it is a quieter time to sit and think about your long term financial goals, what do we want to achieve in life? For many the ultimate goal is Financial Freedom, giving you sufficient money to allow you to enjoy life and this will be different for everyone. Always high on the lists are paying off the mortgage, a comfortable retirement, or passing on wealth to the next generation, time with children and grandchildren, more trips abroad, visiting friends and family as well as many other amazing things along the way, but to do all of these effectively and tax efficiently requires some planning. So ask yourself the question; what do you want to achieve, this is always my starting point with clients and part of my job is to help you to make a plan in order to get there. From these initial discussions you start to focus and establish what’s really important to you and what will the milestones be along the way, we also use these as review points to evaluate your ‘financial journey’ and redefine if necessary. Not only does this keep you on track to achieve your long term goals but it also provides motivation and focus when things aren’t always on the up. As part of our planning journey, we also discuss with our clients, the importance of investing for decades and not days. SJP’s investment approach looks at the end goal and not about the short term. Short term fluctuations can be a distraction when you are looking at a 20 year investment and the earlier you start planning the better, minimising the effects in turbulent times, such as at the moment. Selecting the investment products that are right for your circumstances, we just don’t recommend the same products to all clients. We will look at your situation and optimize any tax wrappers available to you that will improve your outcome, such as pension contributions. And thirdly it’s important to talk to your Financial Adviser about where you’re going to invest, diversifying your portfolio to spread the risk and to minimise any short sightedness. At St. James’s Place the fund managers take a much longer term view and produce diversified portfolios that do just that with the aim of delivering results in the long term, whilst also making your money be a force for good by investing responsibly. So if you’re looking to get financially fit in 2023, like everything, good results come with good long term planning. My advice to you this New Year is to speak to us and start your Financial Planning Journey today, banish those fears and start feeling better about your finances and your future. Wishing you a happy and healthy 2023. Lynne Gadsden FPFS

Grovewood Wealth Management Ltd

The value of an investment with St. James’s Place will be directly linked to the performance of the funds you select and the value can therefore go down as well as up. You may get back less than you invested. The levels and bases of taxation, and reliefs from taxation, can change at any time. The value of any tax relief is dependent on individual circumstances.

Our online Insights hub hosts latest articles and much more, from market updates to investment views and financial advice visit; www.grovewoodwealth. co.uk/insights Grovewood Wealth Management Ltd is an Appointed Representative of and represents only St. James’s Place Wealth Management plc (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority) for the purpose of advising solely on the group’s wealth management products and services, more details of which are set out on the group’s website www.sjp.co.uk/products. The ‘St. James’s Place Partnership’ and the titles ‘Partner’ and ‘Partner Practice’ are marketing terms used to describe St. James’s Place representatives.

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Inspiring

THE NEXT GENERATION OF FRUIT GROWERS AND HORTICULTURISTS

Since September, as part of their studies, Hadlow College students have been cultivating and managing a 3-hectare sustainable ‘concept’ orchard and vineyard using cutting-edge technologies and automated systems.

We are the first UK college to give our students the opportunity to be at the forefront of exciting changes in the farming sector by gaining practical, hands-on experience of sustainable fruit growing. Developed in collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce and local industry specialists, this innovative project focuses on decarbonisation and addressing skills shortages in the food production industry. The aim is to develop concepts for a more efficient, economic, healthy, and sustainable farming industry, with the help of the latest technologies in automation and AI.

Why is the project so important?

It’s predicted that by 2050, the world will need approximately 70% more food than is currently being produced to sustain the growing world population. Meanwhile, UK growers are battling with severe shortages in available labour. Sustainable farming techniques revolve around optimally using natural resources while not harming the environment in any way. Technology and automation can help make certain tasks faster, more efficient, and more economical compared to traditional methods.

What will students be involved in?

Hadlow College students will be instrumental in meeting the needs of a changing world in terms of increased food production, sustainable use of natural resources, waste reduction and recycling and using less energy. Alongside more traditional horticultural methods, students will gain valuable employable skills in using drones, robotic fruit pickers, weather sensors and simulations to assist in food production. A section of the orchard has been devoted to viticulture where students will be trained in how to set up and manage a vineyard. The rest of the orchard will be used to train students in sustainable orchard management with crops including apples, pears, cherries, apricots and other prunus.

What technology will be used in the orchard?

The orchard will be as automated as possible using a range of robotic equipment and sensors to remove many labour-intensive aspects, while teaching students important skills in modern orchard management. Drones will monitor bud set, predict yields and monitor the growth of the crop allowing precise applications of nutrition, pest and disease control methods to be used. Sensors will be installed throughout the orchard to monitor amongst other things moisture, relative humidity, PAR and rainfall, plus other exciting sensors which are currently being developed. The orchard and vineyard will also feature AI management systems, innovative crop diversity, cleaner storage, robotic fruit picking and post-harvest technology. You can find out more here www.hadlow.ac.uk/future