Local firms scooped awards at a ceremony to celebrate business success.

The West Dorset Gold Awards 2023 presentation afternoon was attended by more than 70 leading businesspeople in Bridport’s Town Council office - and saw an array of winners in a variety of business categories from the area.

After the success of local business awards in Dorset, Marketing West Events launched its first regional awards night for the West Dorset and Weymouth and Portland area - the Gold awards.

Judges were asked to score the winners from the last awards in Dorchester, Weymouth, Portland, Bridport and Lyme Regis, to arrive at the 'Best of the Best' in the area.

One judge said: "It was a very hard process because we had such great winners in every town, and going through the entries all at the same time highlighted what a fantastic range of independent businesses there are right across West Dorset.

"Businesses that make this region such a fantastic place to live, to visit, to shop, to eat out in and to work in."

Weymouth-based Nothe Fort won the award for Outstanding Tourism Business, with a spokesperson saying: "We are delighted to have won 'Outstanding Tourism Business 2023.' Nothe Fort is many things, a fort, museum, scheduled monument, a visitor attraction and an iconic landmark for Weymouth.

"Nothe Fort is also an important business that employs the equivalent of eight full time staff and over 120 volunteers who put in over 10,000 hours work. The gross economic impact of Nothe Fort to the local economy was over £1.8m."

The Purple Office in Poundbury was 'delighted' to receive the Best Place to Work award.

The office, which provides co-working spaces, was runner-up for Best Business of the year, with a spokesperson labelling this "an incredible achievement considering the amount of high-quality business locally that we're up against."

Restaurant Les Enfants Terribles in Weymouth won Restaurant of the Year.

The team took to social media to say: "As a business owner this is an outstanding achievement. There is a small army, working day in day out, rain or shine to make sure you get the best experience possible at the restaurant."

Winner of New Business of the Year, West Dorset Magazine, was also a double winner getting the top title of Overall Business of the Year and a very happy editor, Miranda Robertson, said: "'We are utterly over the moon to have won."

Dodgson's hardware shop in Dorchester scooped the award for best local business.

Full list of the winners: Outstanding Tourism Business - Nothe Fort, Weymouth Independent Business of the Year - Dodgso's of Dorchester Retail Business of the Year - Smith and Smith, Bridport Restaurant of the Year - Les Enfants Terrible, Weymouth Best Place to Work - Purple Office, Poundbury Outstanding Community Support - Lyme Regis Community Support Green/Eco Business of the Year - West Bay Discovery Centre Family Business of the Year - Heavers of Bridport Cafe, Pub & Casual Dining - Mercato Italiano, Bridport Outstanding Customer Service Razzamataz Theatre School, Weymouth Health & Fitness Business of the Year - The Highbrow Skin & Laser Clinic, Dorchester Best Use of Digital Innovation - Shire Hall Museum, Dorchester Young Entrepreneur of the Year - Cameron Small of Honey Asset Management, Dorchester B2B Business of the Year - Honey Asset Management, Dorchester Arts & Crafts Business of the Year - Aperture Photographic (Doug Chalk)