Where is the top place to have your hair or nails done?
Which is the town’s best independent shop?
In April, we launched the Warrington Guardian Best of 2024 competition to find the best that the area has to offer in 23 different categories.
Each week, readers nominated their favourite cafés, gyms and pubs as well as fish chip shops, beer gardens and fitness instructors and we put together a shortlist of the most popular places announcing an overall winner for each category voted by you, the readers.
The winners are all featured in a special supplement in this week’s Warrington Guardian – in shops on Thursday, October 10 – where you can read about each category champion and find out how they took one of the Best of 2024 crowns.
Here are the 23 winners, who will all be appearing in the winners’ supplement:
Kate Lucy Hair Studio
KATE Dixon’s career in hairdressing started when she was just 15.
Working as a Saturday girl at Rod’s Hairdressers in Stockton Heath, she knew she wanted to become a stylist.
Fast forward 17 years and Kate was able to buy a salon in Lower Walton having travelled to the United States to complete Beauty School.
Kate Lucy Hair Studio, which is on Gainsborough Road, was the first winner in our Best of 2024 competition.
Kate grew up in Appleton and started working as a Saturday girl at Rod’s Hairdressers in Stockton Heath.
Read more:
Saturday girl’s 26-year journey to becoming an award-winning stylist
Tomlins Bakehouse
WHEN your pies and pastries have been keeping hungry customers satisfied for more than 120 years, you know you’re onto a winner.
Piemaker extraordinaires Mark and Sonya Fitzpatrick took over at Tomlins Bakery – now called Tomlins Bakehouse two years ago and after taking last year’s Best for Pies crown did the double, winning Warrington’s Best for Pies 2024.
The popular bakery on Synge Street first opened its doors in 1905 when mother and daughter Clarise and Lucy Holbrook started a bakery and confectionary business.
Over the past 118 years, customers have queued out the door to buy one of the mouth-wateringly delicious pies and other baked goods.
George Tomlin bought the business from the Holbrook family just after the Second World War and transformed it into the popular bakery it still is today.
Mark and Sonya have revamped the shop this year – a nod to its early 20th century roots – but still use the tried and tested recipes and ingredients that were used to create the first pies decades ago.
Read more:
Meet the makers of Warrington’s double award-winning pies
By Maisie Beck
MAISIE Beck is a rising star in the beauty industry.
She has built up a hugely successful nail and beauty business – By Maisie Beck – and won Warrington’s Best for Nails for 2024 – at the age of 20.
Maisie started her now award-winning business just over two years ago in March 2022 renting a chair in Hairshop Too in Latchford before moving to Luxe Salon on Fairfield Road in Stockton Heath in November last year.
She is a self-employed nail technician and makeup artist specialising in builder gel nails and advanced nail art as well as special occasion makeup.
Read more:
Creating picture perfect nails and winning awards at the age of 20
The Blue Bell
SUNDAY roast with beef or turkey – or maybe both – served with maple glazed carrots, sauteed red cabbage and white wine creamed leeks.
Triple cooked crispy roast potatoes and buttery mash finished with a Yorkshire pudding, shaved parsnip and homemade, mouth-watering gravy.
The Blue Bell, on Horsemarket Street, serves the best roast dinner in town.
Graeme and Chris took over at The Blue Bell on Horsemarket Street in the town centre in February this year.
Chris is the owner of HC Promotions putting on live events in Warrington including Indie Disco and Ibiza Symphonic and Graeme owns Dead Eyes Cocktail Bar and Subway franchises.
Read more:
Dead Eyes
CHEERS to Dead Eyes – Warrington’s Best for Cocktails 2024!
With party starter the Flaming Zombie and pornstar martini trees on the menu, it’s easy to see why Dead Eyes is such a popular place for cocktails.
And they’ve retained the Best for Cocktails title they won last year making them double award winners.
We toasted 12 terrific cocktail places in Warrington who made the shortlist for Best for Cocktails with Dead Eyes taking this year’s coveted crown making it back-to-back wins.
Owner Graeme Keast and general manager Alex Tennant took over behind the pumps at the Bridge Street venue in March 2021.
Read more:
Raise a glass to the bustling bar serving Warrington’s best cocktails
CJ’s Coffee House
THREE awards in three years – CJ’s Coffee House clearly has the recipe for success.
The Warrington Road café – which is rumoured to be the smallest in the town – serves Warrington’s best breakfasts and is the perfect place to start your day.
Ben and Alison Ashwin opened the hidden gem in 2018, naming the Warrington Road business after their daughter Chloe Jaine, who is now eight.
Read more:
Penketh coffee shop has the perfect recipe for awards success
Plaice Station
AN 8oz haddock fillet coated in light and crispy batter served with perfectly cooked chips made from freshly farmed potatoes – the ideal treat for teatime.
Plaice Station is the “top plaice” in Warrington for everyone’s favourite fried food and has just scooped this year’s Best Fish and Chips award – something they’re all hugely proud of.
Kieran Sudlow is the manager of Plaice Station – the business is owned by his dad Darren.
The popular ‘plaice’ opened in May 2007 on Station Road in Padgate next to Padgate station.
The family home was just a stone’s throw from the shop on Mayberry Grove and they all still live in Warrington.
Read more:
Plaice Station batters the competition to take town’s top fish and chips title
The Ferry Tavern
WHEN the sun is shining and you fancy a drink outside, there’s nowhere better than The Ferry Tavern.
The popular pub in Penketh has just won our latest Best of 2024 award – Warrington’s Best Beer Garden – for the third year in a row.
Triple cheers to everyone at The Ferry Tavern!
We said cheers to 12 top beer gardens in Warrington with some great spots for a drink in the sunshine making the shortlist and The Ferry Tavern took this year’s coveted crown making it a hat-trick of Best of titles.
Owners Andy and Jade Mulholland took over at the pumps at The Ferry Tavern on Station Road nearly 20 years ago in May 2005.
Andy grew up in Penketh and Jade moved to The Ferry Tavern she was ten.
Read more:
Fancy a drink in the sunshine this weekend in this triple award-winning beer garden?
Tommy O’Connor
TOMMY O’Connor is a true inspiration.
If you ask him, he will say “I’m just Tommy O’Connor with the shakes” but if you speak to his clients he is “a selfless man who works hard to keep Parkinson’s survivors mobile and fit” and “a true lifeline to those living with an incurable condition”.
The 72-year-old, who opened Rock Steady Boxing Widnes and Warrington five years ago, is Warrington’s Best for Fitness 2024, as voted for by his customers together with followers and readers of the Warrington Guardian.
Ten top instructors in Warrington made the shortlist for this year’s Best for Fitness and Tommy O’Connor has taken this year’s coveted crown – and he’s a popular winner.
He opened the first Rock Steading Boxing gym in Widnes in 2019 with a Warrington gym opening at unit six Crown Street in January.
Read more:
71-year-old boxing coach provides lifeline for Parkinson’s sufferers
Sam Small Ink
SAM Small’s first tattoo was a small black heart on his ankle, which he did himself on his first day as an apprentice.
Fast forward seven years, and the talented tattooist has just been named Warrington’s Best for Tattoos 2024.
Sam started tattooing in 2017 and opened the business on Rylands Street three years later in 2020 between Covid-19 lockdowns.
Read more:
From playground entrepreneur to Warrington’s top tattooist
Manic Minors Toystore
KEVIN Fleming’s earliest memory is of playing with toys and he admits to being obsessed with ones from across the decades.
Starting as an online hobby 12 years ago, Manic Minors Toystore in Orford has just bagged our latest Best of 2024 award – Warrington’s Best Independent Shop or Business 2024 – and Kevin couldn’t be happier.
Twelve top independent businesses and shops in Warrington made the shortlist for the latest Best of 2024 award and Manic Minors has taken this year’s coveted crown.
Kevin Fleming launched Manic Minors Toystore as an online hobby in 2012 and went full time in 2020 just a month before the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns.
It’s above the launderette on Orford Lane and Kevin is a proud Orford boy having moved to Warrington when he was five and an avid supporter of Warrington Wolves.
Read more:
Meet the middle-aged big kid from Orford selling toys from your childhood
White Lace Bakery
LINDSAY and Graham Albon clearly have the recipe for success
From brownies to blondies, cookie pies to school sponge cake and morning tea to afternoon tea, the couple know how to make the perfect treats.
The delicious desserts at White Lace Bakery have scooped Warrington’s Best for Dessert for a third time making it a hat-trick of wins for the town centre business.
Ten delicious dessert destinations in Warrington made the shortlist for the latest Best of 2024 award and White Lace Bakery has taken this year’s coveted crown.
White Lace Bakery was first established as a wedding cake business in 2016 from their converted garage before it moved to Warrington market, Cockhedge Centre and then Market Place in Golden Square.
Lindsay and Graham Albon own the business with daughter Lauren Paget working as the shop manager and White Lace Bakery is very much a family business.
The shop’s counter is stocked daily with delicious homemade brownies and blondies as well as cookies, cakes and tray bakes.
There’s a made-to-order tearoom menu with sandwiches, paninis and jacket potatoes as well as wraps and breakfast sandwiches.
Read more:
Tasty treats and delicious desserts at triple award-winning town centre bakery
Velocity Dance
STACEY Atkinson has been teaching children, young people and adults to dance for more than two decades.
She’s more than mastered the art of dance.
And her skills have earned her and her dance school – Velocity Dance – our latest Best of 2024 award – Warrington’s Best for Kids – and Stacey hasn’t stopped smiling since she heard the news.
Twelve kids’ classes and groups in Warrington made the shortlist for the latest Best of 2024 award and Velocity Dance has taken this year’s coveted crown.
Stacey Atkinson opened Velocity Dance 22 years ago in 2002 – Velocity Dance is the private dance school and Velocity Community Dance CIC is the charitable branch of the business.
Its base is Unit 1, Aston Court on Kingsland Grange in Woolston after Stacey started out delivering classes at a primary school, King’s Leadership Academy and a church before purchasing the current building in 2018.
Read more:
Dance school where children flourish and shine is top of the class
Victoria Park Vets
PEOPLE love their pets!
None more so than the people of Warrington who voted in their hundreds for our latest Best of 2024 award – Best for Pets.
Victoria Park Vets took the title, making it back-to-back wins for the husband and wife team on Knutsford Road.
Twelve perfect places for pets in Warrington made the shortlist for the latest Best of 2024 award and Victoria Park Vets has taken this year’s coveted crown for the second year in a row.
Sarah Cumming and husband Archie are the owners of Victoria Park Vets on Knutsford Road and the business has just celebrated its second birthday at the beginning of last month.
Victoria Park Vets opened on July 4, 2022 – independence day for a new independent family-run vets in Warrington.
The couple moved to Warrington eight years ago and decided to open their own independent vets after seeing that the majority of vet practices had been sold to larger corporate businesses.
Read more:
Dedicated Warrington vets treat all animals as if they were their own
LUXE Salon & Training
WORKING from her home beauty room, Jade Mather craved the salon and studio vibe of working with other technicians and therapists and welcoming customers and clients through the door.
So, just under 12 months ago she opened LUXE Salon & Training in Stockton Heath and hasn’t looked back.
The business has gone from strength to strength and has just picked up our most recent Best of 2024 award – Warrington’s Best for Beauty.
Ten beauty salons and technicians made the shortlist for the latest Best of 2024 award and LUXE salon & Training has taken this year’s coveted crown officially giving the town’s best glow up.
Jade Mather opened LUXE Salon & Training on Fairfield Road in Stockton Heath in November last year having previously been working from home.
She has worked in other salons in the past but decided to set up at home after the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions lifted due to economic uncertainty.
Salon owner and beauty therapist Jade has always lived in Warrington so she wanted to open up her business in the town.
Read more:
Mid Cheshire’s best beauty salon takes hat-trick of glow up awards
San Lorenzo
PIZZA margherita, pizza Capri with goat’s cheese, figs and honey and Calabrese with spicy Nduja – fancy a slice?
How about a seafood pizza with lobster and king prawns or smoked salmon pizza topped with spiced vodka sauce?
They all sound mouth-wateringly good and they’re the very worthy winner of our latest Best of 2024 award – Warrington’s Best for Pizza 2024 – made fresh every day at San Lorenzo.
Eight perfect pizza places made the shortlist for the latest Best of 2024 award and San Lorenzo has taken this year’s coveted crown.
Charles Dobosz and Adam Smith opened San Lorenzo in The Treasury Building on Palmyra Square South in 2018 following the success of their first two restaurants – The Grill on the Square, which opened in 2010, and Las Ramblas Wine and Tapas, which opened in 2015.
The dynamic duo have since opened The Terrace Gin & Cigar Bar and The Treasury Private Dining Rooms, which are also in The Treasury Building.
Read more:
Here’s where you can grab a slice of award-winning authentic Italian pizza in Warrington
Room Forty
DAINTY finger sandwiches followed by homemade cakes and scones served on vintage stands with loose leaf tea in antique teapots, cups and saucers – the perfect afternoon tea treat!
What’s more, it’s delivered straight to your door!
Room Forty in Woolston – a vintage mobile afternoon tea emporium – is the latest winner in our Best of 2024 awards – Warrington’s Best for Afternoon Tea.
Ten top afternoon teas in Warrington made the shortlist for the latest Best of 2024 award and Room Forty has taken this year’s coveted crown.
Jen Perry set up Room Forty – a pun on Room for Tea – in April 2016 as a mobile afternoon tearoom.
The award-winning business is based at Jen’s home in Woolston but they set up afternoon tea treats across the north west.
Read more:
Vintage mobile afternoon tea emporium is top pick for tasty treats
Café at the End of the Universe
SLOW cooked pulled pork, bacon jam, bacon frazzles and baconnaise on top of a double bacon cheeseburger – the Kevin Bacon.
A burger topped with chorizo, fries, garlic butter and ketchup – a real crowd pleaser.
Andrew Kinsella, owner of Café at the End of the Universe, clearly has the recipe for success as he has just topped the table when it comes to burgers and he can now say he serves the best in Warrington – for the second year in a row!
Ten delicious looking burgers made Warrington’s shortlist in the latest Best of 2024 category and Café at the End of the Universe has taken this year’s coveted crown making it a double victory in the awards for the second year in a row.
Read more:
“We make award-winning American inspired food with a pop culture twist”
Ryfields Gym
PAUL and Becky Warburton opened Ryfields Gym eight years as an alternative to “normal gyms”.
The couple wanted to create a quiet workout space for people wanting to start their fitness journey without the pressures of working out in front of regular gymgoers.
This is why Ryfields Gym has been voted Warrington’s Best Gym for the third year in a row.
Twelve top gyms made Warrington’s shortlist in the latest Best of 2024 category and Ryfields Gym came out on top making it a hat-trick of titles.
Paul and Becky Warburton opened Ryfields Gym inside Ryfields Village in Orford in October 2016.
Read more:
“Our gym has no scary equipment or bodybuilders sat in the corner”
The Black Gold
THE Black Gold only opened its doors 18 months ago.
In a short space of time, Biju Joy and his team at the town centre restaurant have served up authentic, flavourful curries to hungry customers.
And The Black Gold has just been named Warrington’s Best for Curry 2024!
Ten delicious curry places made Warrington’s shortlist in the latest Best of 2024 category and The Black Gold came out on top.
Biju Joy opened The Black Gold – a south Indian restaurant on Mersey Street in April last year.
Read more:
Authentic, flavourful curries top the bill at award-winning town centre restaurant
Rhode Island
OVER the past 20 years, baristas at Rhode Island Coffee have perfected the perfect cup of coffee and know how to brew the best cup of tea.
When it opened its doors on Old Market Place, owner Raj Ruia wanted to bring café culture to the town and shared a little of the Parisian way of life he had experienced.
Fast forward to September 2024 and the popular town centre venue has just been named this year’s Best Café or Coffee Shop in Warrington.
Twelve top cafés and coffee shops made Warrington’s shortlist in the latest Best of 2024 category and Rhode Island Coffee came out on top.
Raj Ruia founded Rhode Island Coffee in 2002 in Altrincham before coming to Warrington.
It was the first coffee shop to pioneer barista made coffee in the town.
They wanted “to bring café culture to the town”.
There are now eight Rhode Island Coffee branches around the north west in Altrincham, Blackburn, Burnley and Crewe as well as Oldham, Stockport and Chorley.
Ravi Ruia, Raj’s son, has been the managing director of Rhode Island Coffee since earlier this year and Nicola Blackburn is the store manager with Ange English having been with the company since 2018 and Sandra Walker since 2016.
Read more:
Town centre coffee shop bringing a taste of Paris’ café culture to Warrington
The Blue Bell
GRAEME Keast and Chris Hodgkinson know what it takes to run a successful business.
They took over at town centre pub The Blue Bell just seven months ago and the awards are already stacking up.
Hot on the heels of taking top spot when it comes to serving Warrington’s best roast dinner, the dynamic duo have just bagged the Best Pub title as well!
Fifteen of Warrington’s most popular pubs and bars made the shortlist in the latest Best of 2024 category and The Blue Bell came out on top.
Graeme Keast and Chris Hodgkinson took over at the pumps in The Blue Bell in February this year.
The Horsemarket Street venue serves food and drink, opening from 9:30am for cooked breakfasts and serving a wide range of dishes from small plates such as jacket potatoes and sandwiches to steaks, burgers, mixed grills and ribs.
Read more:
The Blue Bell is named Warrington’s Best Pub 2024
GREAT tasting food made from good quality ingredients sourced from businesses in the village – that’s the secret to a successful restaurant.
It’s this award-winning recipe for success that has secured Eighteen The Cross our final Best of 2024 honour – Warrington’s Best Restaurant.
Twelve of Warrington’s most popular restaurants made the shortlist in our final Best of 2024 category and Eighteen The Cross came out on top.
Michael Taylor opened Eighteen The Cross in Lymm in November 2017 so it’s coming up for its 7th anniversary.
Read more:
Warrington’s top restaurant uses quality ingredients to create tasty dishes
