ORGANISERS are celebrating a record response to this year’s Otley Business Awards.

A total of 451 nomination forms were received this year for 89 different businesses across a variety of sectors.

They included: Milk Bar, Rafferty’s Café, Rest Assured Homecare, Red Pepper, Sinclairs, Edward Johnson, Groove Pad, Puffin Pottery, Ivy House and Chevin View Laundry. The winners - the full list of nominees can be found at www.otleychamber.co.uk - will be announced at an awards ceremony on Friday, March 22.

Awards Committee member Rachelle Atkin, speaking on behalf of the event’s main organiser* Otley Chamber of Trade, said: “The event is now in its fifth year and continues to go from strength to strength. This year’s response has been outstanding and we thank everyone who has taken time to nominate their favourite business.

“We have a wide selection of retail and service sector businesses who offer a such a broad spectrum of products and expertise. This event was created to celebrate these and showcase Otley as a place to shop and do business.”

The awards night will be held, for the first time, at Otley Parish Church and will feature Peter Dodd, from Welcome to Yorkshire, as the Motivational Guest Speaker.

*The 2019 competition is also being sponsored by Otley BID, Otley Town Council and - for each category - individual businesses.