Sandwich shop and deli wins Northumberland award

The Galley, which has branches in Amble and Alnwick, has been named a Town and County Business Champion for Northumberland

James Leighton, who helps run the family business, picked up the county award at a ceremony in London.

He said: “It feels unreal!

"I was nervous going into the ceremony as we were sitting with great businesses from all over England.

“When they moved onto the Northumberland award the butterflies started. When The Galley was read out I felt a mix of excitement and emotion.”

He admitted: "Starting a business is hard, keeping it going during Covid has been hard but we have been fortunate to expand and retain and also double our work force but this was the icing on the cake.

"The staff behind The Galley are amazing and the first thing I did when I got back to my table was message them all.”

The business was nominated for the award by customers. The judging panel then put The Galley forward as a finalist.

The Galley, already a success on Queen Street in Amble, moved into the former Trotters bakery on Bondgate Within in February with the creation of six new jobs.

The Town & County Business Champions 2021 awards aim to highlight the achievements of the UK’s very best micro and small businesses who are keeping community spirit alive in their local area.

The awards are aimed at any businesses with up to 50 employees.

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