Success was brewing at a new North East awards ceremony which turned the spotlight on a range of local businesses.
The inaugural English Independent Retail Awards 2019 saw praised heaped upon companies in a range of categories this July and, besides the retail sector, food and drink also enjoyed a share of the limelight.
The July awards evening in Newcastle saw coffee houses across the region in for praise in the category of Coffee Shop of the Year.
And one in Newcastle - Flat Caps Coffee - was named overall winner.
The specialist coffee shop Carliol Square boasts the 'best coffee in Newcastle' and clearly judges agreed.
The awards, run in partnership with United Grocers Ltd, celebrated top retailers which have shown commitment to product and customer service and also among the winners on the night were Saltwater Fish Company in the Fishmonger of the Year category and The Pie and Bottle Shop in North Shields as Eatery of the Year.
There were four coffee shops picked in the Coffee Shop of the Year category with Pilgrims Coffee House & Roastery on Lindisfarne winning the accolade in the Northumberland area; Treats Cafe winning for Durham; Bedford St Coffee in Middlesbrough for Northumberland and Flat Caps Coffee for Tyne and Wear.
Flat Caps then went on to be named Coffee Shop of the Year Overall Winner.
It's another measure of success for the coffee house which owner Joe Meagher initially ran from a tucked-away space downstairs in Elula gift shop in Ridley Place, Newcastle, where his range of quality coffee - served up in a choice of three brewing methods - quickly won a local following.
He then opened up in Carliol Square in 2016 following an online fund-raising campaign which gathered huge public support.
And, there, with an alcohol licence following and a growing menu of breakfasts, snacks and cakes, business has continued to boom.
Another overall winner at the awards was The Pie and Bottle Shop of North Shields in the Eatery of the Year category.
The shop - which recently expanded business to Tynemouth - won the Tyne and Wear title before taking the overall win while the other Eatery of the Year area titles saw Northumberland's go to Carnaby’s Cafe at Chathill and Durham's to Bean Social while Cleveland was won by Middlesbrough's Mannequin Cafe.
