The owner of Combermere Abbey, on the outskirts of Whitchurch, has been celebrating businesses in Cheshire as part of her High Sheriff role.

Sarah Callander Beckett took centre stage at the High Sheriff’s Awards for Enterprise, held at Chester Racecourse, alongside 300 of Cheshire’s entrepreneurs and business leaders to celebrate outstanding business achievement across private sector organisations.

Ms Beckett believes the awards serves as one of her favourite parts of the job over the last year.

"One of the highlights of my year as High Sheriff has been promoting the wonderful businesses across the county," she said. "Celebrating the wealth of opportunity and variety of enterprises from the more rural south to the enterprise and science corridors of the north is so important.

"Cheshire is a county brimming with entrepreneurial talent at all levels – from apprentices to business owners – and it is so vital to reward and celebrate this business drive which makes Cheshire such a prosperous place to live."

The award categories saw a huge variety of outstanding business practice recognised – with awards for Family Businesses, Innovation and Responsible Business Practice as well as Best Apprentice.

Urban Landscape Design scooped the overall prize, and were rewarded with an incredible prize of a place on the University of Chester’s MBA programme with £10,000 while the High Sheriff’s Award for Responsible Business Practice, sponsored by Warrington Borough Council, was won by Land Trust

Professor Phil Harris, chairman of the organising committee of the awards, added: "The High Sheriff of Cheshire Enterprise Awards are now in their 12th year and celebrate the wonderful businesses in the Cheshire, Warrington and Halton economy.”

The evening also played host to guest speaker Dr Sandeep Ranote, who spoke about her work as a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist leading young people’s eating disorder services and as Director of Clinical Networks at North West Boroughs NHS Foundation Trust.