Fulham's Bridge Baker Rises to the Top!

Double success for Wandsworth Bridge Road foodstore at H&F Brilliant Business Awards

The team from Bridge Baker at the 2019 H&F Brilliant Business Awards

The team at Fulham's Bridge Baker are celebrating a double success in this year's H&F Brilliant Business Awards - just six months after the cafe and bakery first launched on Wandsworth Bridge Road.

Bridge Baker, a neighbourhood baker and food store set up by local resident Gauri Naffrey, with the motto 'born and bread in SW6' was named Best Place to Eat in the borough and Best Independent Business on the High Street.

What's on offer at Bridge Baker in Wandsworth Bridge Road

After the awards ceremony, held at Olympia London on Thursday 21 November, the team said: " We are still so overwhelmed and grateful to be double award winners in the @hamfulbrill4biz awards - Best Place To Eat and Best Independent Business.

" None of this would be possible without our amazing team of front of house staff, our brilliant bakers and of course our fabulous customers!

"This is a big shout out to you all - thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!"

It was a big night too for Fulham based micro bakery and bread school Ma Baker which won the Outstanding Entrepreneur of the Year award for its founder Liz Wilson.

Liz, who describes herself as a teacher, passionate home cook and baker completed the Bread Angels' Micro Bakery course in July 2013 and fell in love with the magic of bread. She then spent the following year volunteering in bakeries and cooking schools around London, and working alongside other Bread Angels.

In 2014 she was runner up in the Home Baker category in the World Bread Awards and this spurred her on and in 2015, she opened her micro bakery selling her award winning breads to her local community. After the ceremony, Liz tweeted @MaBakerBakes: " So stunned and thrilled to receive this award. Can’t quite believe it. Bread takes you places ! Proud. "

Perhaps the most unusual award winner was K9 Help a professional puppy and dog training service based in St Dionis Church Hall in Parsons Green, which won the Best Customer Service Award for Master Trainer Richard Grant and his team, pictured below with their trophy.

Richard, who has been working with puppies, dogs and their people for 32 years, tweeted @k9helptraining: "Unbelievable, we did it, 'Best Customer Service' Hammersmith and Fulham Brilliant Business Awards 2019, thank you so much everyone for your love and support."

In the Public Vote meanwhile, Playdays Parties, whch supplies inflatables, soft play, face painting and other essentials to create perfect parties for children, was named the number one business in Fulham for the third consecutive year.

The two other Public Vote winners were Goldhawk Road Balkan restaurant Caffe Bonego which was voted the Best Business in Shepherd's Bush and Lumi Power Yoga which was named Hammersmith's Best Business for the fourth year running.

"Congratulations to all the local businesses who picked up an award this year and all the businesses which were shortlisted," said Cllr Andrew Jones, H&F Cabinet Member for the Economy and the Arts.

"We’re committed to bringing real and lasting change to H&F but it’s only possible with the support and hard work of businesses like the ones honoured at this year’s awards."

Here are the winners in full:

Winners of the H&F Brilliant Business Awards 2019

Best community focussed business or social enterprise

Lumi Foundation

This yoga studio and community has an ambition to bring yoga to all by removing barriers such as money, health and access to facilities.

Best creative business

Made in H&F

A pop-up boutique in Kings Mall, Hammersmith providing affordable opportunities for local artists and designers to sell directly to the public on the high street.