Pictures and video: Shropshire Spotlight Awards 2015 round-up

More than 15,000 votes were received and Andy Goulding, from Free Radio, hosted a glitzy awards ceremony at the Theatre Severn in Shrewsbury on Tuesday evening.

Scores of guests from firms and venues which were chosen as finalists enjoyed drinks and canapés before the results were unveiled and trophies and certificates were handed out. Taking the trophy for Best Restaurant was The Hundred House Hotel, in Telford, which last year won the Best Posh Nosh Award.

The hotel, restaurant and wedding venue has been owned and run by the Phillips family for the past 30 years.

Stuart Phillips, one of the owners of the business and a chef at the restaurant, said: "We've got staff who have been with us for up to 30 years. Thank you to all the staff and the customers. I want to reiterate how important it is to have a strong, talented team."

The Food and Drink Champion category was the hardest-fought, with little to separate the nominees, but first prize was awarded to Ludlow Food Centre.

Located on the Earl of Plymouth's estate, the centre allows visitors to purchase their produce and watch artisans at work whilst sampling their produce in the food hall.

BEST CAFE OR TEA ROOM

Sponsored by Powerpoint Stores

Number Four - WINNER

Smallwood Lodge

The Old Mill Tea Room

BEST RESTAURANT

Sponsored by The Huntsman of Little Wenlock

Hundred House Hotel - WINNER

Lowfield Inn

Mishu

Porterhouse SY1

BEST FISH AND CHIPS

Sponsored by Scott & Newman

The Silver Fish - WINNER

Chinny's Mobile Chippy

Jones Fish Bar

Ketley Cod

FOOD AND DRINK CHAMPION

Sponsored by British Ironwork Centre

Ludlow Food Centre - WINNER

Deliciate

Ludlow Brewery

BEST PUB

Sponsored by Shropshire Star

The Huntsman of Little Wenlock - WINNER

Prince of Wales

The Bear at Hodnet

The Oak Inn

BEST NIGHT OUT

Sponsored by Hobs & Hotplates of Shrewsbury

Henry Tudor House - WINNER

Cineworld, Telford

Pussycats

BEST FAMILY DAY OUT (SMALL VENUE)

Sponsored by Q Hotels Telford

Hoo Farm Animal Kingdom - WINNER

British Ironwork Centre

Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre

BEST FAMILY DAY OUT (LARGE VENUE)

Sponsored by TCAT

Ironbridge Gorge Museums - WINNER

Attingham Park

Carding Mill Valley/The Long Mynd

EVENT OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by Park Inn by Radisson

RAF Cosford Air Show - WINNER

Shrewsbury Flower Show

Shrewsbury Food Festival

Marketing assistant Ceri Saunders said: "We are so pleased. We pride ourselves on championing food."

HR manager Julie Preece said Ludlow Food Centre had been running for more than eight years.

She added: "We started off eight-and-a-half years ago with around 50 staff and we are now up to around 130 staff. The business is still growing. It's great to get this award."

Stealing the number one spot for Best Pub was The Huntsman of Little Wenlock.

Located in the shadow of the Wrekin, the pub boasts a comprehensive menu featuring local produce and ale from national breweries, as well as those closer to home.

Managing director Peter Morris thanked everyone who took the time to vote as he collected the award. He said: "This award means so much to us."

Henry Tudor House, a restaurant and bar in one of the oldest half-timbered buildings in Shrewsbury, had encouraged customers to cast their votes, enabling them to take the lead right at the very end in the Best Night Out category. The venue regularly hosts live music events.

After winning the award, director Graham Jenkins said: "It's brilliant. We are so thrilled. We didn't think we would stand a chance because we are only a small venue."

It was a closely run race for the Event Of The Year award but it was the RAF Cosford Air Show which clinched the trophy.

This year's event attracted 55,000 visitors and raised £220,000 for charity, and tickets for next year's event have now gone on sale.

Group captain Mark Hunt said: "I am elated and hugely humbled. There was such competition there. It's fantastic to get this award. It's a real privilege."

Two awards were given for Best Family Day Out. Hoo Farm Animal Kingdom, in Telford, was crowned the winner of the small venue category, while the best large venue prize went to the Ironbridge Gorge Museums. The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust was established in 1967 to preserve the remains of the Industrial Revolution in the Ironbridge Gorge.

Marketing officer Richard Aldred said: "Our visitors came through and voted for us. There's a whole team that works really hard and getting this award is great."

Other businesses which also enjoyed the limelight were Number Four, a modern eatery in Butcher Row, Shrewsbury, which won the award for Best Café or Tea Room, and Best Fish and Chips went to The Silver Fish in Tan Bank, Wellington.

Sponsors of the event included Powerpoint Stores, The Huntsman of Little Wenlock, Scott and Newman, British Ironwork Centre, Shropshire Star, Hobs and Hotplates, Q Hotels Telford, Telford College of Arts and Technology and Park Inn by Radisson.