Meet the West Midlands businesses celebrating success at My Local Awards 2026

The winners include established family firms and businesses still in their first few years. Owners describe the long hours behind opening a shop, building a team, and earning the trust of customers who return year after year.

Longstanding customer service

For Harborne Indian Kitchen, named Restaurant of the Year, those relationships stretch back more than 15 years in the Birmingham neighbourhood. Previously known as Umami, the restaurant adopted its current name in May 2024. At its Lordswood Road premises, classic Indian curries and balti dishes remain central to the menu, alongside the hospitality that has kept generations of local customers returning.

Fresh from the farm

Elsewhere in the region, Proper Good Dairy has been building a more direct relationship between the farm and the people who drink its milk. The Dairy Producer of the Year is a family operation in South Shropshire that has farmed at Hatton for 30 years.

Rather than sending all its milk away in a tanker, the business installed its own processing plant and began bottling organic, unhomogenised whole milk for local customers and independent shops. Customers return its reusable glass bottles to the farm, where they are washed and refilled. For the family, seeing someone walk out of a local shop carrying one of those bottles was as meaningful a milestone as getting the processing room up and running.

Putting customers first

Personal service also runs through the stories of this year’s retail winners. In Knowle, Solihull, Belle DIVA has been named Fashion Retailer of the Year. Founded in March 2010, the independent womenswear boutique stocks European labels and less familiar pieces, with an approach its owner describes as “Luxury without intimidation”.

The business grew out of a love of fashion developed while working alongside the owner’s mother in retail. Sixteen years later, the family connection to Knowle’s shops continues: the owner’s son runs 1683 Chocolate Place in the village.

Dog friendly shopping

In Gnosall, Daisy’s Dog Stop, a Pet Shop of the Year winner, has made shopping more comfortable for dogs and their owners. Its dedicated coat and harness room includes a sofa where customers can sit while staff find the right fit for their pet.

Opened in November 2024, the shop draws on its founder’s more than 15 years in the pet industry and experience as a championship show judge. It focuses on

personal advice and a selection of products that gives shoppers a reason to visit an independent.

Passion and dedication

Vintage Gamer, named Games Shop of the Year, has built a different kind of gathering place in Colley Gate. The business began in 2011 with the founder’s own collection, additional stock bought online and arcade machines that visitors could play for free.

By 2013, it needed larger premises. Today, the shop buys and sells retro and modern games, consoles and arcade machines, with stock spanning decades of gaming.

Its owner still remembers standing in the newly refurbished larger shop before opening and taking in how far the business had come. Regular customers, volunteers and friendships formed across the counter remain a large part of its story.

Hair-raising achievements

Jason O'Sullivan Hair, this year's Hair Salon of the Year, shares that attention to how people feel when they walk through the door. The Tettenhall salon works with all hair types and textures, including bespoke colour and extensions, and gives each client its full attention.

Jason opened the salon two years ago to make clients feel comfortable and heard. Alongside running the business, he works as a brand ambassador and lead educator for Rapture Hair Extensions and has completed an assessor qualification to help develop other hair professionals.

Style and design

In Rugby, Distinktion Tattoo Studio, winner of Tattoo Studio of the Year, has a particularly personal connection to its premises. The building was once the jeweller’s where the owner’s grandparents bought their wedding rings. The original safe is still there.

Opened towards the end of 2024, Distinktion brings together artists with different styles and matches clients with the person best suited to their ideas. It also offers piercing and a private tattoo room at no extra cost, with practical touches intended to help people feel at ease during their appointments.

A personal touch

Hands On Health Clinic has been named Chiropractic Business of the Year. Founded by chiropractor Gemma Phipps in 2013, the clinic has expanded its team and the treatments available over more than a decade. Gemma’s interest in the profession began through her mother’s experience of living with a chronic spinal condition, which prompted her to pursue a career working with patients.

Experience and teamwork

For MBK Early Years, Training Provider of the Year winner, professional experience also shaped the business. Established in 2014, it provides training, consultancy and practical resources for nursery owners, leaders and their teams.

Drawing on nearly 30 years of experience running nurseries, MBK supports settings with leadership, inspection preparation, SEND and inclusion, compliance and business development. Its team grew from one person in 2021 to six in 2026, bringing different areas of expertise together to support early years providers locally and across the country.

A good deal

Quality Cars and Commercials Ltd, named Car Dealership of the Year, is an independent dealer based a short drive from Birmingham Airport. It sells used cars and commercial vehicles, with stock including Ford Mustangs, BMWs, Land Rovers and Porsches.

The business also helps customers source vehicles and arrange finance through its lending partners. Customer reviews praise the helpful service, with buyers highlighting the welcome they received and the support offered when choosing their next car.

Building on success

Several winners work on the homes and premises used by the region’s residents and businesses. Artisan Construction, named Construction Business of the Year,

specialises in renovations, extensions and new-build homes, alongside kitchen and bathroom installations, landscaping and driveways.

Established seven years ago, the company places particular emphasis on communication throughout a project. Its founder grew up locally and describes working for people in that same community as an important part of running the business.

Bespoke projects

RRJ Design, winner of Carpentry & Joinery Business of the Year, has grown from a garage-based operation into a dedicated workshop in Digbeth. Founded in March 2023, it designs, makes and installs bespoke joinery for homes and commercial spaces, combining traditional methods with 3D CAD design.

A Birmingham City Council growth grant helped the business establish and equip its workshop. Its work now includes fitted furniture, commercial fit-outs and listed building restorations, with in-house design, fabrication and spray finishing.

Flooring the West Midlands

Patchwork Flooring has also expanded since its beginnings in 2017. Named Tiling & Flooring Business of the Year, the family business has roots in Stourbridge and now operates across four retail locations, following its expansion into Cousins Furniture stores in Dudley, Birmingham and Shrewsbury.

Its founder started fitting carpets at 17. That practical experience still informs the company’s work supplying and installing flooring for homes and businesses. Mobile showroom vans let customers choose products at home, and the business has also developed its own Patchwork Giorgio LVT range.

Painting the region

P&R Decorators, winner of Painting & Decorating Business of the Year, has built its business in just more than three years through repeat customers and recommendations. Its founder emphasises careful preparation and finishing, reliability, and leaving customers’ homes clean and tidy.

A good outlook

In Hereford, Simply Windows Ltd has been named Windows & Doors Business of the Year. The company supplies and installs windows, doors and conservatories, as well as roof lanterns, aluminium bi-folding doors, fascias and guttering. Its founder started the business after years working for local window companies and now employs four staff members, all living nearby.

The region’s manufacturing sector is represented by Central Birmingham Springs Ltd, winner of Manufacturing Business of the Year. Founded in 1997, the family business makes custom springs, flat springs and wire forms for customers across the UK.

The company acquired Stockton Engineering in 2021 and moved to a larger, 14,000 sq ft factory in Cradley Heath in 2023. Stuart Pilley, who has worked at the business since its beginnings, became sole owner in 2025. Further investment in machinery and staff has supported its growth, with the company reporting a record year in 2026.

Understanding the clients

Businesses helping other companies reach their customers also feature among the winners. Happy Giraffe, named Branding Agency of the Year, has a 24-year history. Kerry joined the agency in 2010 to look after operations and finances before taking ownership with Matt Peace in 2015.

Working across branding, websites, digital design, and marketing, the agency starts by examining a client’s customers, competitors, and business challenges. Its team sees that understanding as the starting point for creative work.

Training new talent

Gravitas Web Design, winner of Web Design Business of the Year, began in 2008 as Darren Langley Web Design. Its founder returned to his Birmingham roots after working in London as web design manager for Sky TV, bringing that experience to businesses in the West Midlands.

The agency adopted the Gravitas name in 2024. Alongside designing and building websites, it provides branding and ongoing support, maintaining relationships with clients after their sites go live. Training emerging talent is another source of pride, including supporting a former school-leaver apprentice through a degree apprenticeship while working at the company.

Brands you can trust

Birmingham-based The Mind Collective has been named Marketing Agency of the Year. Founded in 2015, it works with food, drink, personal care and other consumer brands, giving smaller businesses access to marketing specialists without the cost of employing a full internal team.

Its work covers strategy, social media, content, design, digital advertising and influencer marketing. Having celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2025, the agency counts long client relationships among its proudest achievements, alongside work with brands including Heinz, HP Sauce, Amoy and Tiptree.

Great production

For YouNeek Productions, winner of Videography Studio of the Year, a major milestone came in October 2025 when founder Luke and his wife Kasia opened their studio. Luke had first sketched the idea on paper in 2022, the year he began working full-time in the business he founded in 2013.

Based at Squab Hall Farm, the company produces television adverts, brand films, documentaries, product demonstrations and social content. Its studio gives businesses in the region access to production space and expertise closer to home. The team has also worked with the South Warwickshire Fundraising Team and created an original series supporting men’s mental health.

In the picture

Shannon Davies Photography, named Photographer of the Year, focuses on a more personal record of people’s lives. Specialising in weddings and newborn photography, Shannon favours an unobtrusive approach, waiting for natural expressions and small moments rather than forcing a pose.

After more than a decade taking photographs, Shannon turned that interest into a business five years ago. Helping clients feel relaxed is central to the work, whether photographing a wedding celebration or the first days with a new baby.

On the move

The awards also recognise businesses that keep people moving. Quality Cars and Commercials Ltd has been named Car Dealership of the Year, while SD Motor & MOT Ltd takes Garage of the Year.

Founded in 2025 after its owner spent years working as a mechanic elsewhere, SD Motor & MOT combines diagnostic work with straightforward advice and personal service. The business describes winning an award so early in its life as a particularly meaningful sign of customers’ trust.

Seeing the world

Travel De Guru, winner of Travel Agency of the Year, was established in 2024. It arranges flights and holiday packages and provides visa application assistance, focusing on supporting customers at every stage of their plans. This includes extra support for older travellers who value having someone guide them through the arrangements.

Driving success

In Walsall, Travelstar European Ltd has been named Coach Company of the Year. Founded by brothers in July 2005, the family-owned operator provides private hire and transport across the UK and Europe, alongside its work as a National Express partner operator and with Star Tours UK.

Having celebrated its twentieth anniversary in 2025, the company still manages operations, engineering and driver training in-house. Its roots remain in the town where its founders grew up, even as its coaches carry passengers much further afield.

For the Travelstar team, everyone involved in making those journeys happen shares the award: drivers, engineers, office staff and cleaners, as well as the customers who continue to book with them.

Find out more about the My Local Awards.