Cafe owner is hoping an Echo award win is on menu
SUE GETS HER FIRST TITLE NOMINATION
A cafe owner was stunned after hearing she’d been nominated for her first award in 15 years of business.
Sue’s Cafe in Sunderland has been put forward for the Echo’s Portfolio Awards after one reader described it as a “jewel in Roker’s crown”.
The praise kept on coming and the reader said the cafe on Marine Walk at Roker was “a fantastic little family-run business”.
It provided wonderfully fresh food but went further than that, with the staff tidying up and litter-picking their local beach and surrounding area, and regularly supporting the local primary school.
But despite striking such a chord with the public, news of the nomination still took owner Sue Parkin completely by surprise.
She said: “It is the first time I have been nominated for anything. I just come into work and get on with my job.”
Sue started the business 15 years ago, and she said: “There was nothing here at the time. I worked every day to build the business up and I slowly did that as the years went on.
“As we started changing things, we got more staff and one of the things we have always done is keep the prices low. A lot of people come here with children and I am just trying to make our seafront affordable for a day out.”
Sue and husband Tom Parkin run the business and Sue described the nomination as “just marvellous.”
Creo was one of the early entries in this year’s awards but we want many more.
Once again, we want to hear from the people who make the area tick on the business front but we can only do that if we receive your nominations.
There are plenty of wellknown categories from previous years such as small, medium and large business of the year, as well as exporter of the year.
Or you might want to enter sections such as apprentice of the year, technology of the year or best green business. Whatever your choice, make sure you get those entries in so that we can honour the very best that Wearside has to offer.
Yet again, we have fantastic backers on board to help make the awards a success.
Make it Sunderland is again our headline sponsor, and will sponsor our overall Business of the Year Award, as well as a Lifetime Achievement award, which is in the sponsor’s gift. Make It Sunderland is also backing the Small Business Category of the competition.
Another sponsor, BIC, is acknowledging the contribution social enterprises make to the city in the Social Enterprise Award.
Other sponsors are Northumbrian Water, Gentoo, Stagecoach in Sunderland, The Bid, ResQ, Maxim Brewery, Sunderland College, Creo, Station Taxis, Bradley Hall, and PG Legal Commercial Solicitors.
Get nominating and let’s make this a year of celebration of the best in Wearside business.
To nominate, post your nominations to Lynn Wild, Sunderland Echo, Alexander House, Rainton Bridge Business Park, HoughtonleSpring, Sunderland. DH4 5RA. Alternatively, you can email lynn.wild@jpress. co.uk.