Home > News>Mellors Crowned North West Family Business of the Year 2026! Mellors Crowned North West Family Business of the Year 2026! Posted: 13th May 2026 | Category: Achievements What a night to remember! On Thursday 8th May, Team Mellors headed to the stunning Rum Warehouse at the Titanic Hotel, Liverpool for the prestigious North West Family Business Awards 2026 — and we came home with not one, but TWO incredible awards! With more than 130 family businesses nominated across the North West, the competition was fierce — making these achievements especially meaningful for everyone at Mellors. Organised by The Family Business Community, the event brought together more than 400 guests to celebrate the innovation, resilience, and success of the region’s leading family-owned businesses. The evening, hosted by co-founders Sue Howorth and Dave Clarkson alongside food and drink broadcaster Nigel Barden. Following a drinks reception overlooking Stanley Docks, guests enjoyed a fantastic three-course meal and an evening full of celebration, inspiration and music by solo violinist, Lauren Charlotte. Manufacturing of the Year 2026 – WINNER North West Family Business of the Year 2026 – WINNER This year’s theme — “Built Together, Stronger Forever”— symbolised how every part of a business works together to drive success, especially during challenging times. A perfect reflection of family business values and teamwork. Manufacturer of the Year We were absolutely delighted to scoop the Manufacturing award, recognising our passion for lovingly creating fresh food from scratch every single day — from sandwiches and soups to cakes and delicious school meals. The award celebrates excellence, innovation and continuous improvement, all values that sit at the heart of Mellors. Over the past year, we’ve continued to innovate with exciting initiatives including our Tuk Truck, Crafted by Mellors range, Little Beekeepers initiative and our industry-leading wellbeing and development programmes. North West Family Business of the Year 2026 Winning the overall North West Family Business of the Year award was the icing on the cake — especially as we celebrated 30 years of education catering last year! Since 1995, what started as a shared passion between Mark Timmerman and his dad Tim has grown into the award-winning Mellors Catering Services — still proudly independent, family-owned and completely food obsessed. Today, our amazing team of more than 2,000 dedicated foodies serves over 130,000 freshly made, nutritious meals every day across schools and colleges, helping to fuel minds and nourish futures. During the evening, Director Mark Timmerman delivered an emotive speech celebrating the people at the heart of Mellors — our incredible teams, strong values and commitment to staying true to our family roots while continuing to innovate and inspire through great school food. He also paid tribute to Tim Timmerman, whose vision, entrepreneurial spirit and genuine passion for people helped shape Mellors into the multi-award-winning business it is today. This recognition at the North West Family Business Awards celebrates not only our achievements over the past 30 years, but also the dedication of our teams and our continued commitment to making a positive difference for future generations. The beautifully handcrafted trophies were created by Kendal-based glassmaker Jo Vincent, inspired by the landscapes, wildlife and rolling countryside of the North West — making the awards even more meaningful. Tony Trainor, Mellors CEO said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have won two awards at the North West Family Business Awards. We’re incredibly proud of our family heritage, and the family-focused values and culture that continue to shape everything we do. “Being family-owned is more than just part of our story — it influences how we work, how we support one another and how we care for our clients, customers and teams every single day, as we continue to fuel minds and nourish futures.”