The longest serving MP for Reading has launched his annual competition to highlight independent business success stories in the town.
Each year, Matt Rodda, the Labour MP for Reading Central, holds the Small Business Saturday competition.
The initiative, founded in the USA, is designed to highlight exemplary customer service and the value small businesses provide to customers.
The competition made its way to the UK, where it will be celebrated on Saturday, December 6.
Ahead of the date, Mr Rodda is accepting nominations for the best small businesses in eight defined categories in his constituency.
You can nominate a business using the Small Business Awards 2025 page on Mr Rodda’s website.
As well as categories such as pubs & bars, food & drink, clothing and homeware businesses, there is also an ‘other’ category for nominations as well.
Each nomination counts as a vote for the chosen business.
Previous winners include The Greyfriar pub, which celebrated its 10th anniversary last year, and Eclectic Games in the hobby category, which moved to Duke Street in August.
Other 2024 winners included the Strong Womens Club, which provides a welcoming environment for women to get fit and healthy, and Caversham Holistics, that provides aromatherapy, reflexology and massage services.
A nominator of that business in last year’s awards said: “I absolutely love Clare’s treatments, she really takes her time to understand what I need on the day, and I always leave feeling relaxed and refreshed.”
Nominations for the 2025 awards close on Wednesday, November 26.
