BORDERS business was celebrated last week at the region's annual Excellence Awards.

New chair of Scottish Borders Chamber of Commerce, Moira Wilson, oversaw the glamorous ceremony at the Macdonald Cardrona Hotel.

And she helped hand out new fewer than ten different awards to the winners.

The flagship event, sponsored by the Royal Bank of Scotland and organised by the Chamber of Commerce for the fifth successive year, aims to promote and celebrate the best of Borders business, championing the diversity and achievement of those who operate within the region.

Moira said: “ The Business Excellence Awards continue to go from strength to strength every year and the Scottish Borders Chamber of Commerce are very proud to be associated with them.”

The Tourism & Hospitality Business of the Year Award, sponsored by Bruce Stevenson Insurance Brokers, was won by The Allanton Inn.

R Mitchell & Son was crowned Agricultural Business of the Year Award, which was sponsored by NFU Mutual Borders.

The High Growth/Turnover Award, sponsored by Douglas Homes & Co, was claimed by Borderlink.

And the same company also took home the Innovation in Business Award, which is sponsored by Scottish Borders Council.

There was also a double celebration for the Eildon Housing Group who won both the Social Enterprise of the Year Award, which is sponsored by Scottish Borders Social Enterprise Chamber, and the Supporting Young Workforce Award, sponsored by Developing the Young Workforce Borders.

Douglas Home & Co were named joint winners of the the Supporting Young Workforce Award.

The Manufacturer of the Year Award, sponsored by Reiver Recruitment, was won by Hutton Stone.

And it was Works+ who triumphed in the Community Impact Award, which was sponsored by Live Borders.

The Micro Business of the Year Award, sponsored by NS 24 Ltd, went to EcoSafety.

And GB Technologies claimed the SME of the Year Award, which was sponsored by Business Gateway Borders.

Moira added: “We have such a diverse range of outstanding businesses in the Scottish Borders, and this is very evident from the category winners.

"Through their determination and dedication, these businesses are pivotal in making the Scottish Borders a great place to live, work, learn and play.

“To all the winners, enjoy your year in the spotlight!”

The judging panel had to sift through dozens of entries and also carry out interviews before drawing up a shortlist ahead of last week's award.

Helen Shepherd from EcoSafety was delighted her company came out on top in the Micro Business of the Year category.

She said: “We were extremely proud that EcoSafety was announced as Micro Business of the Year at the Scottish Borders Business Excellence Awards 2019.

"It’s fantastic for our team to get this recognition as our Business is our people.

"We feel that this award is also a reflection of the clients we partnerships with, all of whom, like us, are committed to delivering safety excellence.”