Held on Wednesday, November 8, with a packed out crowd of hundreds attending, three central Maitland businesses and one Rutherford business were recognised as among the best across the Hunter. 

These included travel company Italktravel Maitland who won the travel services category (following up the success of their Rutherford shop in the same category last year), as well as the Levee-based Orange Tree Cafe (nominated in the cafe category). 

Elsewhere in the Levee, Frangipani Living, a clothing store in the Maitland Hunter Mall, took out the fashion shop sector.

Jo-Anne Dryden, general manager of Rutherford’s Signature Gardens Retirement Resort, took out the individual honour of business person of the year. 

The success of Maitland businesses wasn’t limited to the four winners, with numerous other organisations nominated as finalists across multiple categories.