Macclesfield businesses have triumphed at an awards evening.

The event, organised by the Macclesfield Chamber of Commerce, has been running for the past six years, celebrating everything North East Cheshire has to offer in the business world.

There was a total of 11 awards, with the winners unveiled in front of more than 350 guests at the ceremony at The Mere in Knutsford.

Rachael Calthorpe, from AstraZeneca, won Apprentice of the Year, and Direct Food Ingredients, based at Waters Green, triumphed in the Excellence in Customer Service category.

Nexus Dry Hire, based on Larkwood Way, was named Start Up Business of the Year, and Adlington’s Motor Trade Delivery won the Innovation and Design category.

One Minute Briefs/Big Brand Ideas, won Best Use of Social Media Macclesfield and Age Uk Cheshire East, also based in Macclesfield, was named Charity of the Year.

The charity will become next year’s beneficiaries for the 2017 awards.

This year’s benefactors - the Children’s Adventure Farm Trust - took away almost £3,000 from the night, plus an additional £2,100 thanks to the fundraising efforts of Williams & Crosby, which took part in a challenge in aid of the charity in the summer.

Colin Lawson, from Equilibrium Asset Management in Wilmslow, was named Entrepreneur of the Year, and Roberts Jackson, also based in Wilmslow, was named Business of the Year over £5million.

Wilmslow’s Tyler Grange and Venn Digital won Business of the Year up to £5m and Best Design/creative respectively, and Boxed Red Marketing, based in Knutsford, was named Team of the Year.

Celebrity guest speaker Pete Waterman OBE gave a passionate speech around the benefits of HS2 coming to the county and celebrated the area’s excellent record for enterprise and drive.

Terry Golding from Cheshire Silk 106.9 was the host, and George Hayes, chair of the Skills & Growth Company, and David Rutley, Macclesfield MP also addressed the guests. He also took the opportunity to highlight the current threat to Macclesfield Hospital's A&E department and encouraged everyone to sign the petition .

Tim Hine from one of the main sponsors, NatWest, said the night had been another important milestone in the awards six year history.

He said: “It was a great evening again at The Mere, attracting many businesses, finalists and eventual winners who got the recognition they deserved. We can be very proud of the quality, diversity and energy of the entrepreneurs of North East Cheshire.”