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The King Power Stadium hosted a black tie celebration to mark the 2023 LeicestershireLive Business Awards – a packed night honouring some of the amazing businesses out there in the city and wider county.

The awards were hosted by Olympic silver medallist and former European and Commonwealth 400m champion Iwan Thomas MBE, and included a special tribute to some of the much-loved people that the local business community has lost in recent months. Special mention was made for Mukesh Patel, former managing partner Freeths, from his friend Richard Osborn of Excello Law.

This year’s overall Business of the Year was Hinckley’s Flexeserve, which makes hot food display equipment for shops, take-aways, cafes, coffee shops and other premises, and which recently opened a US headquarters as it builds its presence on both sides of the Atlantic.

The new HQ and culinary support centre in Southlake, Texas, is its biggest overseas operation so far – and testament to its innovation and pioneering work in the foodservice industry.

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This year’s Business Person of the Year was Steven Thai, managing director of Ocean King, which was founded in Loughborough and supplies the Asian restaurant trade across the º£½ÇÊÓƵ. It recently invested £5 million in a new Derby premises.

The other 2023 winners were: Joe Carnan, of Imperial Roofing Supplies (Rising Star); Unique Window Systems (Growth); Kieran Bond (Prince's Trust Young Achiever); Abacus Flooring Solutions (Innovation); Imperial Roofing Supplies (Small Business of the Year); Flexeserve (Global Britain); Laura Till, of AMBITION Sports Coaching (Unsung Hero); Abacus Flooring Solutions (Environmental and Sustainability); Micro Weighing Solutions (Made in Britain); Central Electrical Services (Hinckley) (Best Place to Work); Menphys (Outstanding Contribution).

Pictures by Alex Hannam