BEST NEW HOSPITALITY BUSINESS
AWARDS 2023
SPONSORED BY WCS INTERIORS
FINALIST
BEST BITS BAKERY
Sean Wilkinson , right , owner / director of Warehouse Kitchen and Bar , with Jack Marsh , MD of category sponsor WCS Interiors .
WINNER
WAREHOUSE KITCHEN AND BAR
A unit on a Stockton industrial estate isn ’ t , perhaps , the likeliest location for the winner of this year ’ s Hospitality prize in the Best New Tees Business Awards .
But that ’ s exactly where you ’ ll find the Warehouse Kitchen and Bar – surely one of Teesside ’ s most intriguing dining experiences .
Set in a quirky warehouse full of charm , the eatery , on Stockton ’ s Preston Farm Industrial Estate , offers a unique dining experience , with excellent food , large portions , great value for money – and an interior like no other .
It ’ s the brainchild of long-term friends and business partners Sean Wilkinson and Alan Robinson , who dreamed up the idea after a catering company they founded , Absolute Dining , started making waves at Preston Farm .
Encouraged by the reaction , they decided to set up something permanent in larger premises . And when Sean ’ s partner Pauline Williams suggested the twostorey warehouse she used for her Naio Nails business , the Warehouse Kitchen and Bar dream became reality .
With more than 50 years of professional chef experience across the globe and a motivated team of staff , Warehouse Kitchen and Bar aims to push and pioneer the food industry .
From a kitchen designed with chefs in mind to an eye-catching interior full of fascinating bits and pieces – including “ hidden ” toilets – it ’ s a dining experience like no other .
But despite its many USPs , Sean admitted he was still “ overwhelmed ” to win the award .
He said : “ We ’ re different – it all comes from my little mind ! My mind is extremely creative – I ’ ll see it , I ’ ll draw it and I ’ ll build it .”
And as for what comes next , Sean said : “ We ’ ve got massive plans . We ’ ve just built another restaurant upstairs with a bar and a meeting lounge and we ’ re looking at a couple of coffee shops .”
Best Bits Bakery is a self-funded small business run by two sisters whose love for baking was nurtured through childhood , when they grew up baking with their mum – now they ’ re making their dreams come true .
The home business specialises in brownies and blondies , made with high-quality ingredients . A love for creativity means a menu it can be proud of , and even customers ’ ideas are taken into account to develop new and unique products .
Best Bits Bakery plans to move into a unit to expand further , aiming to employ staff and supply other businesses with its products soon .
FINALIST
GYM 22
A studio boutique gym based at Preston Farm , Stockton , Gym 22 Teesside helps individuals achieve their personal fitness goals , both physical and mental , introducing beginners to the gym environment to show how it can be the perfect space to improve not only health , but self-worth and confidence .
It has already trained members of staff up to be expert personal trainers and offers professional experience for the future generation .
Despite only launching in January , Gym 22 already has global brand connections , and its success has led to plans to expand to a second location in the area in 2024 .
The voice of business in the Tees region | 71