Holywood Chamber of Commerce officially launched Year Two of the Holywood Presidents Awards at a special breakfast event on Friday in Alexanders, High Street, Holywood – with broadcaster Denise Watson as host.
The event – proudly sponsored by Woven Housing – brought together a vibrant mix of local business owners, category sponsors, and community leaders, alongside special guests Brian and Mark, the popular food and lifestyle personalities known as The Gourmet Boys. The morning offered a fantastic opportunity for networking, connection, and celebration — building on the momentum of a hugely successful inaugural year, which saw thousands of public votes cast to honour excellence across Holywood’s dynamic retail and hospitality sectors.
Chamber Joint Presidents Derek West and Barbara Wilson welcomed guests and reflected on the incredible response to the inaugural awards in 2024. They also unveiled six new award categories set to run bi-monthly over the next year — with nominations, sponsorship opportunities and community showcases all now open.
Broadcaster Denise Watson, who hosted the event, led a powerful panel discussion with last year’s winners, including:
- Lisa Sigonneau of Epicurean, winner of Best Retailer
- Demelza Kelly Flynn of Holywood Wine Bar, winner of Best in Hospitality
- Richard Waite, from Hannah’s Florist who won Best Family Business
The panel shared stories of resilience, growth and the importance of community support in driving business success in Holywood.
Joint President Barbara Wilson said: “Year One of our awards was a pilot and was received so well that we have launched a second year of the awards. We have proved how powerful it is when a town and its people rallies behind its own. These awards aren’t just about winning — they’re about recognising hard work, innovation and the spirit of local enterprise. Year Two will be even bigger, and we invite the whole community to get involved.”
Categories for Year 2’s awards are:
| June 2025 – Community Impact Award sponsored by Woven Housing | |
| August 2025 – Health & Wellbeing / Feel Good & Fit Award (available for sponsorship) | |
| October 2025 – Best Coffee Shop/Café sponsored by Hannah’s Florist | |
| December 2025 – Best Creative Business (available for sponsorship) | |
| February 2026 – Outstanding Business Services Award sponsored by John Gray and Co | |
| April 2026 – Overall Business Excellence Award (available for sponsorship) |
The first category to launch is the Community Impact Award, which is seeks to celebrate and reward a person who has made a significant community impact to Holywood, with public nominations now open at www.holywoodchamber.com. Entries will close on Friday 27 June 2025, with the winner announced shortly after.
