The thirty-fourth Asian Trader Awards at the Westminster Park Plaza last night was a blast – a packed ballroom of almost 600 people gathered to celebrate the very finest in convenience achievement, and celebrate they certainly did, in an atmosphere charge with good-humour and excitement.
This year’s winners glowed with success, and it was probably the hardest-to-judge set of finalists we have yet encountered. The judges remain astonished at the quality of the entrants, and stunned by how each year standards in the channel continue to be raised.
It was truly a privilege and a pleasure to have all our finalists gathered together for an evening to remember, along with colleagues from all over the country. The food and drink were the finest, the music spot on, and our host Nitin Ganatra as charming and charismatic in person as he appears on the screen.
The evening was intensely sociable, with guests moving from table to table to greet friends and exchange news all night long – after several years of disruption, it is clear that the world of independent retail has got its groove back – better than ever!
We are already looking forward to next year’s Awards, which will take place on 5 November 2024 (so complete with added fireworks as a backdrop over the Thames, no doubt). Who knows who will be the winners then? … As they say in the TV ads: it could be you!