Independent traders declared winners at Banbury’s Castle Quay tenants' awards night

Dan from Nothing but Footprints took home a grand total of five awards.

Hundreds of shoppers took part in the awards celebration by voting for their favourite shops and businesses in the shopping centre, with categories this year including Best Customer Experience, Best Independent Business, Best Food and Beverage, Best Presented Brand Partner, and more.

Nothing but Footprints was recognised as the Best Independent Business, with voters stating it "is simply the best shop in the whole of Banbury, not just Castle Quay".

The Best Food and Beverage award went to Boba Bros with voters saying the café has "amazing, delicious bubble teas with strong flavours" and "the drinks are always perfect" and Pavement Coffee Co. went on to win Best Menu for their inclusive offers.

The awards celebration was a great success, with hundreds of shoppers voting for their favourite Castle Quay businesses.

The zero-waste shop Nothing but Footprints was also awarded the Best Customer Team Member, Best Customer Experience, Best Brand Partner Window Display and Best Presented Brand Partner awards, further proving the shop's popularity with the shoppers of Banbury.

There were an incredible number of glowing reviews for the shop, including one that read "Dan and the whole team are always helpful, flexible, kind, and know their stuff", they are, "always friendly and chatty. Dan also knows loads about his stock and products," and "they represent what community shopping is about."

Another shopper left a review of the plastic-free shop saying that, "being inside the shop makes me really happy, it's so unique and different from other shops and makes me want to consume in a way that's better for the planet."

Oliver Wren, centre director at Castle Quay Shopping Centre, said: "The awards have had an incredible reaction from the local community, with a huge number of our independent and national brand partners being nominated.

"There are obviously some firm favourites with voters, but this year we saw a lot more national brands like Waterstones, Boots, and The Entertainer being acknowledged, which is really encouraging. We are particularly pleased to see how many more nominations there have been this year, showing how supportive the local community is of Castle Quay and its brands."