Shop Local Nantwich Awards
The Shop Local Nantwich Awards were created to celebrate and recognise the incredible independent businesses that give Nantwich its unique character and vibrant high street. Designed to highlight the hard work, creativity, and resilience of local traders, the awards provide a platform for the community to show support for the shops, cafés, and services they value most. By encouraging public nominations and voting, the awards strengthen the connection between residents and businesses, while also raising the profile of independents in a challenging retail landscape. Ultimately, the Shop Local Nantwich Awards champion the importance of shopping locally and reinforce the town’s commitment to supporting its independent business community.
Nominations for the Shop Local Nantwich Award 2026 are now OPEN!
Vote for your favourite local business below, all nominations must be within 10 miles of Nantwich town centre. Nominations close on 30th June 2026
Nominations are first put forward by the public, and the five businesses with the most nominations in each category will be selected as finalists. These finalists will then be reviewed by a panel of experts, who will choose the winner for each category. All finalists will also go forward to a public vote, where the community will decide the overall Best Local Business.
Shop Local Cheshire: Connect & Celebrate
Join us for a brand new event bringing together local independent businesses for a day of learning, networking and celebration.
Connect & Celebrate has been created to support, connect and celebrate the incredible business community across Cheshire, combining practical workshops, meaningful networking opportunities and an evening celebration for this year’s nominees and sponsors.
Whether you’re looking to grow your confidence with social media, build stronger business connections or learn how to work more productively without burnout, our daytime workshops are designed to provide practical, realistic advice specifically for independent businesses.
Throughout the day, attendees will have the opportunity to connect with other local businesses, hear from experienced speakers and become part of a supportive business community.
The daytime programme includes:
Social Media for Independent Businesses | Hosted by Libby Griffiths
Two Steps Back: Building Better Business Relationships | Hosted by Dave Christie
Productivity Without Burnout | Hosted by Rachel Calter
Free tea & coffee will be available throughout the event.
In the evening, nominees and sponsors are invited to continue the celebration with an exclusive evening event focused on community, conversation and making the most of this year’s awards experience.
The evening celebration includes:
Networking opportunities | Chip butties | Charity spotlight talks | Charity raffle | “Making the Most of Your Nomination” hosted by Dave Christie
We wanted to create an event that feels welcoming, supportive and genuinely valuable for businesses of all sizes — celebrating not only business success, but also the importance of community and connection.
Nantwich Football Club, Thursday 18th June 2026, 12PM – 10PM
Join us for the full afternoon of workshops designed to support, inspire and connect independent businesses.
Includes:
Access to all three workshops
Networking opportunities
Free tea & coffee throughout the afternoon
Thursday 18th June: 12pm - 5pm
Hosted by Libby Griffiths
Do you ever feel overwhelmed trying to keep up with social media while also running your business?
This practical workshop is designed to help independent businesses create content more confidently, grow their visibility locally and build a stronger connection with their audience online.
Together, we’ll explore realistic content ideas, ways to stay consistent without burnout and how to use storytelling and community engagement to make your business stand out.
You’ll leave with practical tips and content ideas you can start using straight away.
Part of an afternoon and evening of workshops and networking.
Thursday 18th June 2026: 1pm - 2pm
An evening exclusively for nominees and sponsors focused on celebration, community and connection.
Includes:
Evening networking
Chip butties
Charity spotlight talks
“Making the Most of Your Nomination” with Dave Christie
Charity raffle
Free tea & coffee throughout the evening
Thursday 18th June: 5:15pm - 10pm
Hosted by Rachel Calter
Do you ever feel like you’re busy all day, but still end the week wondering what you actually got done?
This practical workshop is all about helping you work in a way that feels clearer, calmer and more sustainable.
We’ll look at how to prioritise what really matters, reduce the mental load, set better boundaries and create simple systems that help you get things done without running on empty.
Perfect for small business owners, self-employed people, busy professionals or anyone who feels like their to-do list is always one step ahead of them.
You’ll leave with practical tips you can actually use straight away, not another complicated productivity system to add to the list.
Part of an afternoon and evening of workshops and networking.
Thursday 18th June 2026: 3:40pm - 4:40pm
Join us for the full Connect & Celebrate experience — a day designed to support, connect and celebrate local independent businesses.
The daytime programme includes practical workshops focused on social media, networking and productivity, alongside opportunities to connect with other local businesses throughout the day.
The evening celebration is exclusively for nominees and sponsors and includes networking, chip butties, charity spotlight talks, a charity raffle and “Making the Most of Your Nomination” hosted by Dave Christie.
Includes:
Access to all daytime workshops
Evening celebration access (nominees & sponsors only)
Networking opportunities throughout the day
Free tea & coffee throughout the event
Thursday 18th June: 12pm - 10pm
Hosted by Dave Christie
Business owners are often told to network more, collaborate more, and build stronger local connections.
But more conversations do not always create more progress.
This interactive workshop, led by Dave Christie, will help business owners take two steps back and look at how they are currently building relationships, using their time, and showing up in local business spaces.
Rather than focusing on collecting contacts, the session will explore how to build a more useful, supportive, and intentional business community. One built on trust, follow-through, shared opportunities, and clear next steps.
The workshop will cover how to network with more confidence, how to identify the right people and rooms, how to create better conversations, and how to turn introductions into meaningful business relationships.
It will also challenge attendees to think carefully about where their time is going. Because networking can either support business growth, or become another open loop in an already busy week.
This will be a practical, discussion-led session designed for business owners who want to build stronger local connections without adding more noise to the business.
Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how to approach networking, how to build community around their business, and how to focus on one meaningful next step at a time.
Part of an afternoon and evening of workshops and networking.
Thursday 18th June 2026: 2:20pm - 3:20pm
Shop Local Nantwich Awards Tickets
Awards Night - 30th January 2027 at Crewe Hall
Table of 10
Join us for an unforgettable evening celebrating the incredible independent businesses that make our community thrive at the Shop Local Awards Night 2026.
This is a black tie occasion, so dress to impress and get ready for a night of glamour, celebration, and community spirit.
Your ticket includes:
A welcome drink on arrival
A delicious 2-course sit-down meal
Full access to the Awards Night ceremony and celebrations
Expect a fantastic evening filled with great food, networking, entertainment, and of course… recognising the outstanding achievements of our local businesses.
Ticket Terms:
Tickets are non-refundable, however they can be transferred to another name if you are unable to attend. Any allergies must be sent to info@shoploclcheshire.com 1 month prior to the event.
Join us for an unforgettable evening celebrating the incredible independent businesses that make our community thrive at the Shop Local Awards Night 2026.
This is a black tie occasion, so dress to impress and get ready for a night of glamour, celebration, and community spirit.
Your ticket includes:
A welcome drink on arrival
A delicious 2-course sit-down meal
Full access to the Awards Night ceremony and celebrations
Expect a fantastic evening filled with great food, networking, entertainment, and of course… recognising the outstanding achievements of our local businesses.
Ticket Terms:
Tickets are non-refundable, however they can be transferred to another name if you are unable to attend. Any allergies must be sent to info@shoploclcheshire.com 1 month prior to the event.
Award Categories:
Main Award: Best Local Business
Start-Up of the Year
Best Event Organiser
Community Award
Food & Drink Award
Best Retailer
Best Market Trader
Young Entrepreneur of the Year
Customer Service Awards
Hair & Beauty Award
Health & Wellbeing
Best Local Cafe
Home & Interior Award
Paws Award
Independent Creative of the Year
Whether you're a loyal customer, a proud business owner, or just passionate about supporting local, we invite you to be part of this celebration.
Together, let's recognise and reward the businesses that truly make our community shine.
WE WOULD LIKE TO SAY A MASSIVE THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!
Our 2026 Sponsors
Main Event Sponsor - A dedicated space for small business owners, creatives, and founders building beautiful, purpose-led businesses.
Young Trader of the Year Award Sponsor - Circle Networks is a Collaborative Growth Circle. It’s a space where business owners show up to support, refer, build, and grow together.
Best Local Business Award - Bringing South African biltong and beef jerky to England.
Start-up of the Year Award Sponsor -Specialising in crafting tailored marketing solutions that help small to medium-sized businesses boost visibility, engage target audiences, and drive growth.
Paws Award Sponsor - Certified accountant & payroll specialist.
Best Local Cafe Sponsor - Employment Law Solutions is a family-led business providing bespoke employment law, HR and health and safety support to organisations across the UK. The business combines trusted experience with modern, practical solutions tailored to each client. Built on values of integrity, trust and accountability, they support businesses of all sizes with straightforward, jargon-free advice that helps reduce risk, stay compliant and manage people with confidence.
Become a Sponsor
We are now looking for Sponsors for our 2026 awards. For our Sponsorship Pack please get in touch.