THE strength of Reading as a commercial and retail hub was recognised at Saturday night’s glitzy ceremony as traders were honoured for their hard work in raising the town’s profile.

There were 14 awards handed out to retailers big and small at the Reading Retail Awards final on Saturday.

Comedian Bobby Davro put his 56th birthday celebrations aside as he spent the evening entertaining guests at The Hilton Hotel bash.

Presented by ITV Meridian’s Sangeeta Bhabra the fifth awards ceremony welcomed guests from across the town.

She said: “If you are here tonight as a shortlisted nominee then you are in good company and you have already been recognised as achieving excellence in your field.”

Among those singing the praises of traders in Reading East was MP Rob Wilson.

He said: “I have attended the Reading Retail Awards each of the last five years and each time it has become bigger and better. It’s really great we have got something acknowledging the important contribution the retail industry makes to the success of the town. We are a ‘go to’ shopping centre.

“One thing I have noticed is that there has been a strong growth of independent retailers and these awards really reflect that.”

Graham Mountford, operations manager of Broad Street Mall who sponsored the awards, said: “It has been a fantastic evening and it’s great to be able to see all the retailers acknowledged and recognised because most of the time they don’t get the praise they deserve.

“People take customer service for granted so to be able to highlight these people — it just goes to show what great retailing we have in this town.”

As he opened the evening which included a three-course meal, Steve Belam, general manager of The Oracle who organised the awards with theeventcrew.co.uk and Broad Street Mall, praised all those who had been nominated and then shortlisted for an award.

He said: “You are all the cream of retailing and restaurateurs in Reading and you are all winners here tonight.”