Where is the best place to have your hair or nails done?
Which is the town’s best independent shop?
In April, we launched the Warrington Guardian Best of 2022 competition to find the best that Warrington has to offer in 20 categories.
Each week, readers nominated their favourite cafes, gyms and pubs as well as fish chip shops, beer gardens and fitness instructors and we put together a shortlist of the town’s popular places with an overall winner for each category voted by you, the readers.
We decided to take a look back at the 20 winners who topped the table in this year’s Best of competition.
Ashleigh Hair owner Ashley Withers
Best for Hair: Ashleigh Hair and Beauty, Horsemarket Street, Warrington
With nearly 3,000 votes, Ashleigh Hair and Beauty proved to be a cut above rest in our search to find Warrington’s Best Hair Salon 2022.
The luxury boutique salon on Horsemarket Street opened its doors in 2013 when owner Ashley Withers decided to take the leap and launch a new business, having never been to Warrington before.
Social media and word of mouth played a huge role in developing the business name and brand and now, almost ten years later, Ashleigh Hair and Beauty took top honours in our search for Warrington’s Best for Hair venue 2022.
Read their story here: The town centre salon that opened nine years ago without a single client on the books
To Pie For’s Shane Nield who runs the Fearnhead shop with Lindsay James
Best Pies: To Pie For, Station Road North, Fearnhead
Wedding cakes can be made from anything these days – cupcakes, doughnuts and even slices of cheese.
But how about one made of pork pies?
A Fearnhead bakery that has been dishing up some tasty pastry offerings to hungry customers is offering you something a little bit different for your special day.
And the award-winning business also makes a full English breakfast pie as well as one filled with pork, pistachio and apricot.
The popular family-run business scooped our Best for Pies 2022 award earlier this year after opening their doors in 2019 just before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Read their story here: The upper crust of pie shops
Dawn Vago at The Pink Room
Best for Nails: The Pink Room, Raikes Close, Great Sankey, Warrington
Dawn Vago leads a busy life – not only is she a professional singer and part time cruise director but she also runs Warrington’s nail salon of the year.
The Pink Room in Hood Manor was named Best for Nails earlier this year in our Best of 2022 competition.
But Dawn isn’t one to rest on her laurels as she recently opened a second salon above her husband’s champagne bar in Lymm.
Read their story here: The best nails in the business
Vicki and Lez Anders at The Seven Woods
Best Pub: The Seven Woods, Westbrook
The Seven Woods in Westbrook is at the heart of the community.
Managers Vicki and Lez Anders took over at the pumps of the popular pub on Westbrook Crescent six-and-a-half years ago and after a much-needed revamp it reopened the doors to its loyal customers.
The happy regulars voted for The Seven Woods to take the Best Pub in Warrington 2022 title beating off tough competition from seven other venues around the town.
Read their story here: From lockdown hub to Warrington’s award-winning pub
The Female Fitness Academy – Claire Gregory and Robyn Ablott
Best for Fitness: The Female Fitness Academy (now known as Sigma Rehab and Fitness), Unit 4, John Street, Warrington
TWO mums who opened their own fitness business after being made redundant ten years ago are officially Best for Fitness in Warrington.
Friends Claire Gregory, from Great Sankey, and Robyn Ablott, from Latchford, launched The Female Fitness Academy in a bid to help mums recover from childbirth and banish “fit shaming”.
Postnatal fitness was the focus for the two personal trainers and the business has since expanded to cover all areas of women’s fitness.
The Female Fitness Academy, which is based on John Street near Central Station, offers a wide range of classes and fitness sessions including walkin’ talkin’ mums, where mums – and dads and grandparents – can join others for a walk with their babies in prams or pushchairs.
Read their story here: Ten-year journey to success for fitness instructor mums
Fish Net owner Sava Mylona
Best Fish and Chips: Fish Net, Thelwall Lane, Warrington
Maria and Savva Mylona are no stranger to winning awards for their food, so it’s not surprising that they can say that they serve the best fish and chips in Warrington.
Fish Net in Latchford scooped the Best Fish and Chips Award 2022 beating off some tough competition for the other shortlisted venues.
Nominations for the shop on Thelwall Lane said “staff are fab” and recommendations on their Facebook page highlight their gluten-free menu with one satisfied customer saying “it’s the best I’ve ever had”.
Read their story here: “The best fish and chips ever!”
Amoda Beauty
Best for Beauty: Amoda Beauty, 7 London Road, Warrington
Offering something for everyone and luxury treatments delivered with the best care and attention, it’s no surprise that Amoda Beauty claimed the Warrington Guardian Best for Beauty 2022 award.
Anna Thompson and Lottie Quick together with Gabi Dale and Amaara Hughes are the dedicated team impressing customers and clients every day.
The London Road salon opened its doors Latchford in 2008 before moving to Stockton Heath five years later.
Read their story here: A hidden gem at the heart of Stockton Heath
Toast’s Stuart Lawton
Best for Breakfast: Toast, Knutsford Road, Latchford
Six months after opening the doors to their unique café in Latchford, Stuart Lawton and Katherine Hibbert’s business is booming.
Toast is located in The Railway building on Knutsford Road and officially opened for business in November last year.
The venue is the latest winner in our Best of competition taking Warrington’s Best Breakfast crown with a landslide victory in the voting earlier this week.
The old school friends had often talked about opening a café before finally deciding to take a leap of faith at the end of last year and up popped Toast.
Read their story here: New café has the recipe for success
CJ’s is a family-run business in Penketh
Best for Afternoon Tea: CJ’s Coffee House and Tea Room, Warrington Road, Penketh, Warrington
With “lush cakes, wonderful sandwiches and huge scones” it’s no wonder CJ’s Coffee House and Tearoom in Penketh scooped Warrington’s Best Afternoon Tea award.
The Warrington Road venue was opened in 2018 by owners Ben and Alison Ashwin and they were hoping to create a place where customers would feel welcome.
They’ve succeeded!
Read their story here: Meet the makers of Warrington’s best afternoon tea
Ste Davidson from Lizard Inc
Best Independent Shop: Lizard Inc Records, Legh Street, Warrington
Ste Davidson bought his first vinyl record when he was just seven – The Beatles’ Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – and music has been a way of life ever since.
It’s this passion that landed the 57-year-old a coveted award – Best Independent Shop in Warrington.
Lizard Inc Records opened five years ago on Legh Street in Warrington providing a hotspot in the town centre, showcasing the vibrant second-hand vinyl market.
The business is a haven for any music lover.
Read their story here: Sharing the gift of music leads to awards success for small independent business
Michael Butler and Jenny Carey own Bold Street House
Best Roast Dinner: Bold Street House, Egypt Street, Warrington
It’s all about the gravy – the most crucial part of a roast dinner and the difference between a run-of-the-mill meal and an award-winning plate of food.
Michael Butler and Jenny Carey have mastered the traditional Sunday meal and Bold Street House can officially claim to serve the best roast dinners in Warrington.
The Palmyra Square venue celebrated its third anniversary this year having opened in August 2019 but the celebrations came early with Bold Street House taking the best roast dinner crown.
Nominations said the roast chicken dinner is “fantastic value with amazing roast potatoes” and Michael and Jenny serve “a lovely sharing roast – something a bit different and very tasty”.
Read their story here: A mouth-watering chicken platter with all the trimmings
Louie’s Pizza at Warrington Market
Best for Pizza: Louie’s Pizza, Warrington Market
Not many four-year-olds can say they’ve got an award-winning business named after them.
But Louie Glover’s dad and uncle run Louie’s Pizza inside Warrington Market and the talented twosome scooped the award for Best Pizza 2022.
Former St Gregory’s High School pupils Tom and James Glover own the business with customers loving what brothers Tom and James have on offer.
Recommendations for the company said they make “the best pizza there is” and it is “by far the best in town”.
Read their story here: The pizza place offering the nicest slice on the market
The Ferry Tavern
Best Beer Garden: The Ferry Tavern, Station Road, Penketh
When you’ve been welcoming customers into your family-run pub for three decades, you know what people like and what makes them want to return for another visit.
With views of the water on a sunny summer’s day teamed with a cold refreshing drink, it’s no surprise that The Ferry Tavern in Penketh was been crowned Best Beer Garden 2022.
The Ferry Tavern’s loyal customers voted for their favourite local to win, resulting in a landslide victory with nominations saying “there aren’t many with views like The Ferry”.
Read their story here: A beer garden with a view – the perfect place to enjoy a drink in the sun
Gulliver’s World
Best for Kids: Gulliver’s World, Shackleton Close, Old Hall, Warrington
Promising giant adventures for families with children aged two to 13, Gulliver’s World is the perfect place to spend a day out.
The Old Hall 100-acre theme park boasts more than 30 rides across six themed areas.
Read their story here: The perfect place for an adventure with the kids
Dead Eyes’ award-winning burger
Best Burger: Dead Eyes, Bridge Street, Warrington
When regulars of a town centre gastropub are referred to as fans rather than customers, you know it’s a popular place.
And it’s thanks to their dedicated army of fans that Dead Eyes on Bridge Street topped the table.
It’s no surprise they took the crown when you hear about their best-selling item on the menu – Bourbon glazed cheeseburger with bacon, cheese, lettuce and tomato served on a brioche bun with fries.
Owner Graeme Keast took over at the pumps in March last year when the venue specialised in cocktails and street food and Graeme and his team wanted to enhance what was already there and working well.
Read their story here: Dedicated army of fans vote for town centre gastropub’s top burger
Julien Ramos and Olivia Le, owners of Gourmand!
Best Café: Gourmand! Sankey Street, Warrington
A café with a French twist was the winner of our Best Café 2022 award and the first anniversary celebrations came early for owners Julien and Olivia.
Gourmand! opened its doors on Sankey Street in September last year after husband and wife team Julien Ramos and Olivia Le had been selling traditional French baked goods online during the Covid-19 lockdowns.
What began as an alternative to sending friends and family a card while pandemic restrictions were in place, preventing people from spending time together, quickly gathered speed and the couple decided to open a café and bakery in the town centre.
Read their story here: C’est la vie for café with a French twist
Paul and Becky, owners of Ryfield’s Gym
Best Gym: Ryfield’s Gym, Ryfield’s Village, Arena Gardens, Warrington
When gym-goers say it’s a pleasure to be part of your gym, you know you’re doing something right.
Husband and wife team Paul and Becky Warburton are definitely onto a winner at Ryfield’s Gym having beaten off tough competition from gyms around Warrington to win the town’s Best Gym 2022 award.
The couple have been the owners of Ryfield’s Gym for the past seven years, taking over when Ryfield’s changed management and the new bosses wanted to offer more services to its residents and the local community.
There are weekly classes for residents, helping with balance and fall prevention, but the gym is also open to the general public, which many people aren’t aware of.
Read their story here: It’s a popular place for a workout
White Lace Bakery
Best for Dessert: White Lace Bakery, Market Place, Golden Square Shopping Centre and Warrington Road, Culcheth
Hot on the heels of opening their second shop in Warrington, a popular bakery scooped Warrington’s Best Dessert 2022 award.
Lindsay Albon and her husband Graham opened the small family-run business White Lace Cakes Bakery in Golden Square just over two years ago having had a stall on the temporary Warrington Market from 2018.
Together with eldest daughter Lauren Paget and head baker Nathan Ramsay, the couple have made such a success of the town centre venue that they opened another shop in Culcheth in the summer.
Read their story here: Bakery has sweet smell of success when it comes to desserts
Monpura manager Naz Miah (centre) with chef Shuhag Islam (right) and Khaledur Mahir (left)
Best Curry: Monpura, Walton Road, Stockton Heath
Monpura hadn’t even been open a year when it won its first award.
The busy Stockton Heath restaurant, which serves unique south Asian cuisine, clearly made a great first impression with the town’s diners.
Manager Naz Miah and chef Shuhag Islam, who worked at The Cottage on Church Street for 17 years, opened Monpura two weeks before Christmas last year after spotting a ‘to let’ sign on the former Little Box of Treats building on Walton Road.
After waiting seven months for planning permission, they spent nearly £97,000 on renovating the building after it was damp and had a leak in the roof.
Interestingly, the name Monpura comes from an island in Bangladesh, but it also means having your mind fulfilled and Naz wants customers to have their minds fulfilled as they eat.
Read their story here: Minds and tummies filled at award-winning curry house
Customer favourite crispy shredded beef Nic Taylor Photography
Best Restaurant: Tao, Baldwin’s Terrace, Padgate Lane, Warrington
Feeling hungry? How about some award-winning Cantonese cuisine?
Tao Cantonese Restaurant in Padgate topped the table in our search for Warrington’s Best Restaurant 2022 and it’s not surprising when you see what’s on the menu.
There’s crispy shredded beef coated in a Cantonese sauce, speciality dim sum and appetisers and deluxe prawn toast with so much prawn filling that it’s difficult to see the toast!
Owner Vanessa Song opened her new restaurant on Padgate Lane at the beginning of March 2020 and after just two weeks, the global Covid-19 pandemic forced her to close the doors for several months.
Tao promises timeless yet innovative Cantonese dining that is creative but authentic and the talented team is always coming up with new dishes and adapting old ones.
Read their story here: Cantonese restaurant offering five-star cuisine and the best prawn toast ever
Congratulations to everyone who won a Best of 2022 award!
We will be launching the Best of 2023 awards in the new year.
We will be looking for nominations each week and then asking readers to vote from a shortlist to find the best that Warrington has to offer in 2023.
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