Chester young business awards reveals winners for 2026
Chester Business Club has revealed the winners of its 2026 Young Business Person Awards at a special ceremony on Monday.
By Chester Standard
Chester Business Club has recognised the next generation of local business talent at its 2026 Young Business Person Awards.
Chester Business Club has celebrated the winners of its 2026 Young Business Person Awards at a special ceremony in the city.
The awards recognise young people from Chester and the surrounding area who are showing entrepreneurial ambition, creativity and business potential.
This year’s event was held on Monday 6 July at The Slowboat on Frodsham Street, bringing together finalists, sponsors, judges and members of the local business community.
The awards are split into two categories.
The Vision Award is aimed at young people aged up to 18 who live or study in the CH1, CH2, CH3 or CH4 postcode areas and have an original idea for a Chester-based business.
The Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award recognises people aged up to 30 who have already been running a business in the same postcode area for at least a year.
Collette Beckett, of Jetblack Clothing, was named Chester’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2026.
The fashion entrepreneur was shortlisted alongside Peter Bell of Sol Renewables, Alex Sawyer of HeadShield, Jack Green of The Thrive Studio and Edward Price of The Mobile Bike Medic.
The Vision Award shortlist included Oliver Stenton and George Gray from Upton High School, along with Mohammad Dakak, Roan Eames and Corey Winckle from Cheshire College South & West, and Shareen Shanum from Upton High School.
Chester Business Club said the awards are designed to find, recognise and support the city’s brightest young business minds.
The 2026 competition attracted a record number of entries, highlighting growing interest in enterprise among young people across the area.
Finalists were judged on areas including business ideas, commercial potential, ambition, leadership, evidence of progress and the likely impact their ventures could have in Chester.
Winners receive access to 12 hours of mentoring from members of Chester Business Club’s executive committee.
That support includes expertise across areas such as law, marketing, technology, engineering, finance, accounting, property and events.
The Vision Award winners also receive Chester BID vouchers, while the Young Entrepreneur of the Year winner receives a Chester BID voucher and one month of PR support from Magnify PR.
Sponsors for the 2026 awards included Connectus Business Solutions, DEESURVEYS, Aqueous Digital and Magnify PR.
Connectus founder Roy Shelton, who was also on the judging panel, said the awards gave young people a platform to showcase their ideas, ambition and entrepreneurial talent.
He said the strength of the shortlist showed there was a significant amount of talent coming through in Chester and the surrounding area.
The awards were originally established by Magnify PR founder Nick Owens to encourage and recognise young entrepreneurial talent.
For Chester, the initiative is intended to connect young founders and business-minded students with established local leaders who can offer guidance, contacts and practical support.
The event also reflects a wider trend of young people exploring business ownership, side hustles and self-employment at an earlier age.
With technology, social media and online selling making it easier to test ideas, young entrepreneurs now have more routes into business than previous generations.
However, turning an idea into a sustainable venture still requires advice, confidence, financial understanding and access to experienced mentors.
Chester Business Club says the awards aim to provide that support while celebrating young people who are already taking action.
The ceremony gave finalists a chance to meet business leaders, receive recognition and build connections that could help them develop their ideas further.