Fish City wins food & drink family business of the year at Family Business Awards

Staged by Business Eye, the region’s leading business magazine, and sponsored by Northern Ireland Electricity Networks in association with family business specialists Harbinson Mulholland, the inaugural Business Eye Family Business Awards took place at the Culloden Estate & Spa, recognising Northern Ireland’s leading family-owned businesses.

“Northern Ireland has a really strong family business sector, from some of our very largest companies to a network of SMEs across every sector,” said Business Eye’s Brenda Buckley. “We feel that the time is right, especially as we emerge from the Covid pandemic, for Northern Ireland’s many family businesses to have their very own awards scheme, and that their achievement can be showcased and recognised.”

Categories covered areas including Manufacturing, Tourism & Hospitality, Retail and Emerging Business, with individual awards aimed at high-achieving family business owners and leaders.

Sponsored by Action Cancer, the Food and Drink Family Business Award recognises a family-owned business at the forefront of Northern Ireland’s important food and drink sector. Fish City won the award for SME Food and Drink Family Business of the Year, and TS Foods won the Large Company award in the same category.

Full list of Winners

Family Business of the Year
Henderson Retail

Family Business of the Year (Highly Commended)
AG Paving & Building Products

Family Business of the Year (Highly Commended)
Uform

Family Business Legacy Award
Diamond Systems

Family Business Legacy Award (Highly Commended)
Safe Gas NI

Fastest Growing Family Business
Shelbourne Motors

Manufacturing Excellence (Large Co.)
Edge Innovate

Manufacturing Excellence (SME)
Copas Technologies

Construction & Property Family Business
M&M Contractors

Construction & Property Family Business (Highly Commended)
McGinnis Group

Employer of the Year (Large Co.)
McKeever Hotel Group

Employer of the Year (SME)
Whitenoise

Most Innovative Family Business (Large Co.)
Energystore

Most Innovative Family Business (SME)
Environmental Street Furniture

Next Generation Family Business Leader (Large Co.)
Alan Mercer, Hillmount

Next Generation Family Business Leader (SME)
Shona Mulholland, John Mulholland Motors

Hospitality & Tourism Family Business
Bob & Berts

Food & Drink Family Business (Large Co.)
TS Foods

Food & Drink Family Business (SME)
Fish City

Emerging Family Business
McCracken’s Brewery