The all-important judging day for the Express & Echo Business Awards 2017, has taken place and we can now announce the shortlist.

The panel tasked with selecting the finalists at the judging day, held at the Mercure Southgate Hotel, were Express & Echo Editor Jim Parker, Commercial Director at SWComms Jon Whiley, Exeter City Council Inward Investment Manager Maureen Gori de Murden, Managing Director - co-owner Barry Woodward from Vanguard and Exeter College Assistant Principal Jenny Leach.

Celebrity chef Michael Caines MBE, who has just opened the transformed Georgian Grade II listed luxury Lympstone Manor after an £8.5million refurbishment, judged the Tourism & Hospitality Business of the year category.

This year's award winners will be announced at a prestigious ceremony to be held at Sandy Park on Friday, May 12.

Guest speaker will be Mary Quicke, one of the most inspirational farmers in Britain, with a worldwide reputation for the quality of the traditional cheeses made on the family farm near Exeter.

Mary, who won the Lifetime Achievement Award at last year's glittering event, said she was "honoured" to return as guest speaker. She is the 14th generation of her family to run Home Farm at Newton St Cyres and the second generation to create award-winning cheese in the farm's dairy.

The headline sponsor for this year's Express and Echo Business Awards is South West Communications Group

Sponsors include Exeter College, Pavey Group, Walter C Parson, Kitsons, Clear Property, Vanguard, Devon County Council, Exeter City Council, Walter H Squires and Lympstone Manor.

The shortlist is as follows

Apprentice Employer of the Year:

Awcock Ward Partnership

Life Dental & Wellbeing

Stage Engage Ltd

City Centre Award

Bunyip Craft

Life Dental & Wellbeing

Morgan & Pope Solicitors

Purity Boutique Spa

Corporate Social Responsibility Award:

Clear Property Ltd

Home Instead Senior Care

Tyler Grange

Digital Business of the Year:

Bitpod

Custodian Solutions

Oneserve

Employer of the Year:

Awcock Ward Partnership

Devon Air Ambulance Trust

Exeter Golf & Country Club

Home Instead Senior Care

Tyler Grange

Entrepreneur of the Year:

DanSci Dance Studio

Intellitender Limited

The Bear Trail

Wellity

Excellence in Customer Service:

Autocare Services

Bluebird Care East Devon, Exeter & Exmouth

Exeter Golf & Country Club

Exeter Rugby Club

Excellence in Manufacturing:

Amtek Plastics UK Ltd

Hunter Stoves Ltd

Taste of Sidmouth

Fravocado

Innovation Award:

Bitpod

Bluebird Care East Devon, Exeter & Exmouth

Devon Air Ambulance Trust

Fravocado

Small Business of the Year:

Awcock Ward Partnership

Forest Produce Limited

Stage Engage Limited

TCS (CRO) LTD

The Jack in the Green

Tourism and Hospitality Business of the Year:

Exeter Cookery School

The Five Bells

Ladram Bay

Salutation Inn

Exeter Rugby Club

For tickets and other information call Sarah Charlton on 01392 346733, or email her at sarah.charlton@dc-media.co.uk .