Italian restaurant Freddie's was last night named the winner of the Hertfordshire Life sponsored restaurant of the year award in the St Albans and District Chamber of Commerce Community Business Awards 2010...

ITALIAN restaurant Freddie's, in St Albans, was last night named the winner of the Hertfordshire Life sponsored restaurant of the year award in the St Albans and District Chamber of Commerce Community Business Awards 2010.

The restaurant was nominated by Hertfordshire Life readers as one of three finalists which were then visited anonymously by the judges, including the magazine’s editor Clare Bourke.

The results were kept a closely guarded secret until last night’s awards dinner at the Old Albanians Sports Club in Harpenden Road, St Albans.

Welcome glasses of champagne and a three-course meal were followed by the awards ceremony itself with the winners of the six business awards categories being named.

Freddie's beat off stiff competition from the other two finalists in the restaurant category – Bangkok Lounge in Harpenden, which was the winner of last year’s award, and Lussmanns in St Albans.

Other winners on the night were Stef Suter from the Six Bells Pub who was named Young Person of the Year while the New Business award went to Smallcar BIGCITY and its founder Robert Welch.

The Green Award was won by the Maltings Shopping Centre while in the Corporate Social Responsibility category the winner was Harpenden Building Society.

The final award of the night was the President’s Award which went to Lawrence Levy of Levy Associates.

Highly Commended:

Young Person of the Year – Daniel Beardsmore of Trust Networks; Robert Welch of Smallcar BIGCITY

New Business – Emergency Life Systems; Training U

Green Award – Christopher Place Shopping Centre; Lussmanns restaurant

Corporate Social Responsibility – Deloitte; Premier Foods

Restaurant of the Year – Lussmanns; Bangkok Lounge

President’s Award – The late Roger Aylett; Richard Driscoll