Watch the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2025 as the event unfolded

Tess Egginton
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Watch the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2025 as the event unfolded
With the East Midlands Bricks Awards over for another year, the event can now be re-lived through a new video of the evening. Property and construction professionals from across the region gathered last week (Thursday 2nd October) at the famous Trent Bridge Cricket Ground for Business Link Magazine’s 10th annual event. Recognising and celebrating those behind the changing landscape of our region, rewarding the very best companies, teams and individuals, the occasion offered the perfect opportunity to showcase the outstanding work carried out across the East Midlands over the past year and network with many of the region’s industry leaders over nibbles and complementary drinks sponsored by Wood Moore & Co. Attendees also heard from Councillor Nadine Peatfield – Leader of Derby City Council, Cabinet Member for City Centre, Regeneration, Strategy and Policy, and Deputy Mayor of the East Midlands, who kicked off the event with the keynote speech. Watch the event and see the list of winners and runners up below.
 
Kevin Shaw, Wright Vigar, and Rob Sullivan, G F Tomlinson

Responsible Business of the Year – sponsored by Wright Vigar

Winner

G F Tomlinson

Runners up

Scope Construction

Morrison Design

Angela Cooper, BLM Group, Nadine Peatfield, Leader of Derby City Council, and Paul Morris, St James Securities

Deal of the Year – sponsored by Frank Key

Winner

Vaillant Live deal – St James Securities

Runners up

Built-to-rent deal at next phase of Derby Castleward regeneration – Lovell, Placefirst

Top Wighay deal – Vistry East Midlands

Ben Taylor, Build Manager, Klaudia Dziak, StudioTwenty, and Craig Barnsdale, StudioTwenty

Residential Development of the Year – sponsored by Build Manager

Winner

Riber Castle – StudioTwenty

Runners up

Abbey Central – Stagfield Group & Peveril Homes

Prospect Place – TUNE

Andrew Cooper, Global HSE Group, Ian Taylor, Henry Brothers, Matt Wallace, Leicester City Council, Will Eccles, MDA Consulting, Clare Swaine, Henry Brothers

Commercial Development of the Year – sponsored by Global HSE Group

Winner

Canopy, Leicester – Henry Brothers

Runners up

Sherwood Observatory – G F Tomlinson

Homefield College SEND Building – Scope Construction

Vaillant Live – St James Securities

Francisco Burgos, Winvic, and Sally Harrison, EMEC Ecology

Contractor of the Year – sponsored by EMEC Ecology

Winner

Winvic Construction

Runners up

Goodward Construction

Miller Knight

Les Needham, G F Tomlinson, Phil Laverick, G F Tomlinson, and Nick Taylor-Ward, Konsileo

Excellence in Design – sponsored by Konsileo

Winner

Sutton on Sea Colonnade and Pleasure Gardens – G F Tomlinson

Runners up

Loughborough University DigiLabs Teaching Space – APSS

Vaillant Live – St James Securities

Alex Wright, Knapton Wright, William Speed, Salloway Property Consultants, and Hugo Beresford, Salloway Property Consultants

Most Active Agent – sponsored by Knapton Wright

Winner

Salloway Property Consultants

Runners up

OMEETO

Rigby & Co

Joe Anderson, Clowes Developments , Kevin Webster, Clowes Developments, and Iain Hibbert, Devello

Developer of the Year – sponsored by Devello

Winner

Clowes Developments

Runners up

St James Securities

Vistry East Midlands

Paul Goodwin, G F Tomlinson, Geoff Fletton, G F Tomlinson, and Lee Marshall, Viridis

Sustainable Development of the Year – sponsored by Viridis

Winner

Nottingham College Construction Skills Centre (CSC) and The Gateway – G F Tomlinson

Runners up

Evo Corby – PBBE Corby BV, PineBridge

Rykneld Homes North East Derbyshire retrofit – Coactivation

Abbey Central – Stagfield Group & Peveril Homes

Fahad Mohammad, Church Lukas, Alex Edmeades, Roy Geddes Bricks, and James Beardall, Church Lukas

Architects of the Year – sponsored by Roy Geddes Bricks

Winner

Church Lukas

Runners up

Morrison Design

Pelham Architects

Gary Pearce, SEV, Rob Sullivan, G F Tomlinson, Les Needham, G F Tomlinson, and Stephen Spiegelhalter, G F Tomlinson

Overall Winner – sponsored by SEV

G F Tomlinson

To learn more about our finalists visit our showcase page!

See the event in the images below, taken by Richard Picksley.

Thanks to all our sponsors for supporting the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2025. Business Link Magazine looks forward to returning next year for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2026!

                                                                                           

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Chaiiwala delivers 35% growth to record global system sales of £90m

Tess Egginton
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Chaiiwala delivers 35% growth to record global system sales of £90m
Chaiiwala, the Leicester-based Indian street food and café brand, has recorded another strong year of commercial and strategic progress. According to a trading update for the 52-week period to 31 December 2024, Chaiiwala delivered strong top-line growth, with global system sales increasing by 35% to £89.4m. The brand’s strong financial performance was driven by its expanding UK and international footprint and the launch of new ‘bolt-on’ menu items and bundles to increase average order values. With new store openings a critical part of Chaiiwala’s expansion strategy, with the group targeting 500 openings over the next decade, in the period, Chaiiwala opened 24 new stores, including 15 in the UK. Muhummed Ibrahim, co-founder and CEO of Chaiiwala, said: “We are delighted to record another strong year of commercial and strategic progress at Chaiiwala. When we first started Chaiiwala, there was a clear gap in the market for quality, on-the-go chaii and traditional Indian flavours that could be enjoyed at all dayparts. “We took our passion for street food and chaii and created Chaiiwala from the ground up, bringing a unique and universally loved cuisine into a new format that can provide a delicious alternative to other high-street brands. “Today, driven by the hard work and commitment of our fantastic teams across the business, we have cemented our position as the leading Indian street food and café brand and have incredible momentum. “We have an expanding, global footprint in various formats, a strong network of hugely ambitious franchisees, and bold ideas for how we can keep delivering long-term sustainable growth and become a household name. These are really exciting times for Chaiiwala.” Chaiiwala has continued its strong momentum into 2025, with system sales in the year-to-date up 16%. The group has also opened six new stores.

Key Principles appoints new joint managing directors

April Lara
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Key Principles appoints new joint managing directors

Key Principles has appointed Terri Foster and Malik Woodford as Joint Managing Directors, marking a leadership transition aimed at driving continued growth in the company’s digital marketing operations.

The Nottingham-based agency said the pair bring more than 19 years of combined experience to their new roles, reflecting an emphasis on continuity and long-term client relationships. Foster, who joined the firm in 2015, has a background in sales and marketing across the IT and logistics sectors and has specialised in paid media strategy. Woodford, who started with the company in 2017 after university, leads its SEO and web development functions.

Under their direction, the agency plans to strengthen its position in an evolving digital landscape, focusing on leveraging emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, to enhance client outcomes.

“I am honoured by this opportunity to lead alongside Terri. Together, we’re committed to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in digital marketing and helping our clients achieve unparalleled success,” said Malik Woodford.

Outgoing managing director Jackie Key will continue to support the leadership transition over the next two years, ensuring stability across operations. The firm said her ongoing involvement underlines confidence in the new management structure and its future direction.

Rhubarb Hospitality appointed to lead Island Quarter venues

April Lara
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Rhubarb Hospitality appointed to lead Island Quarter venues

The Island Quarter in Nottingham has appointed Rhubarb Hospitality Collection (RHC) to manage its key venues, Cleaver & Wake and Binks Yard, as part of plans to expand its hospitality and events offering.

The appointment marks a new phase of development for the 1 The Island Quarter site, which has become one of Nottingham’s most prominent destinations for dining, entertainment, and corporate events. RHC, known for operating major hospitality spaces such as Sky Garden and the Royal Albert Hall, will oversee day-to-day operations and further develop the venues’ brand presence.

The move was made by Conygar, the investment company behind the 36-acre mixed-use development, which aims to position the area as a leading leisure and business destination in the region.

Christopher Ware, managing director at Conygar, said: “Since launching Binks Yard and Cleaver & Wake in 2022, we have been welcomed to the Nottingham hospitality scene with an incredible reception, which has allowed us to continue to grow and develop. We now have a packed events calendar on the Binks Terrace and are a staple for corporate occasions and weddings at Upstairs at Cleaver & Wake.

“It’s a natural progression for us to elevate our offering by appointing an operator, and RHC’s experience is unparalleled. I look forward to working with the team to continue to bring our vision for the wider Island Quarter to life and provide a range of experiences for people in Nottinghamshire and beyond.”

RHC’s appointment is expected to strengthen the venues’ reputation within Nottingham’s business and leisure sectors, enhancing their appeal for corporate events, weddings, and large-scale functions. The operator’s international experience will also support future phases of The Island Quarter’s development.

New agreement sees Dr. Martens enter the UAE

Tess Egginton
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New agreement sees Dr. Martens enter the UAE

Dr. Martens, the iconic Northamptonshire footwear brand, has secured a new distribution partnership agreement with Beside Group in the UAE, marking the brand’s entry into the UAE for the first time.

The brand has additionally partnered with Crosby in Latin America, which opened a store in Santiago, Chile last week – its second in the region following the opening of a store in Argentina in August.

These partnerships mark an important milestone in Dr. Martens’ next phase of growth, as part of the strategic objective of curating market-right distribution and entering new growth markets with capital-light models.

Ije Nwokorie, CEO of Dr. Martens, said: “These exciting partnerships are consistent with our strategy of entering new growth markets to reach more consumers than ever before through a capital-light approach. We see enormous potential for Dr. Martens in the UAE and Latin America and are delighted to have two partners who really understand both the depth and breadth of our iconic brand.”

Popular Nottingham city centre bar sold

Tess Egginton
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Popular Nottingham city centre bar sold
Specialist business property adviser Christie & Co has sold Copper City, an established all-day bar in Nottingham city centre. Located opposite Nottingham’s Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall, Copper City is well-known for serving brunch, lunch and dinner alongside a wide range of drinks, from coffees to cocktails. Founded in 2015 and housed within a former bank building, Copper City is a multi-level bar which seats around 150 patrons. The “Copper” name is widely known in the local community, attracting a variety of clientele and benefitting from the area’s high footfall. The bar has been sold to Amber Taverns, who said: “Nottingham has been a target city for us for some time. We operate over 180 pubs across the country and are delighted to add Copper to our group. We have great plans for Copper and will be undertaking some renovations before re-opening in the near future.” Jonty Green, business agent at Christie & Co, managed the sale process and added: “Copper is a landmark venue in Nottingham, with the Copper brand being well loved across the county. We are delighted to have completed on the sale to Amber Taverns and look forward to seeing the next iteration of this great hospitality venue.”

Cubo sees record-breaking summer of growth

Tess Egginton
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Cubo sees record-breaking summer of growth
Cubo, the Derby-based provider of flexible workspaces, has seen a record-breaking summer of growth. The summer saw the highest number of new enterprise sign-ups in the company’s history, with a growing number of blue-chip organisations and established businesses choosing Cubo as their workspace partner. This surge in demand also translated into record occupancy rates across many of the company’s 13 locations. As a result, Cubo has now achieved 100% occupancy at five of its sites. The summer period saw a record-breaking flow of leads across all acquisition channels, driving growth in enterprise memberships nationwide. Cubo also achieved its highest-ever levels of new member sign-ups during this time. In addition to the growth in memberships, Cubo also expanded its enterprise solutions, welcoming a number of blue-chip organisations and large-scale teams. It also hosted dozens of community events. Most recently, the company’s on-going commitment to sustainability was recognised with Certified B Corporation (or B Corp) status, highlighting its efforts to meet high standards of social and environmental responsibility. Marc Brough, CEO at Cubo, said: “The workplace is undergoing a fundamental transformation, and Cubo is at the forefront of that shift. “Enterprises and scale-ups are no longer looking for just a desk or an office; they’re seeking dynamic environments that inspire innovation, foster collaboration, and adapt seamlessly to their growth. “This record-breaking summer reflects not only the strength of our model, but also the trust that leading businesses are placing in Cubo to deliver the future of work.”  Looking ahead, Cubo plans to accelerate its growth trajectory, with new locations to be announced.

Derelict Derby factory to be redeveloped into film and stunt academy

April Lara
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Derelict Derby factory to be redeveloped into film and stunt academy

A long-abandoned industrial site in Derby is set to be repurposed as a specialist training and film facility following the receipt of planning approval.

The former Aida Bliss ironworks on City Road, which has fallen into disrepair through vandalism and fire damage, will be transformed in phases. The first stage will see the newer warehouse converted into a gymnasium, performance studios, and a café. Later phases will create film set areas, stunt training zones, and acting spaces, followed by rehabilitation and gym facilities for athletes.

The development, backed by Damien Walters Ltd, will also provide a permanent home for Derby City Gymnastics Club. Walters, who has extensive credits in the international film industry, acquired the site from the council in 2023.

Architects leading the project emphasised that the external appearance of the heritage site will remain largely unchanged, preserving the city’s industrial history. Planning documents highlight the potential for the scheme to position Derby as a centre for film-making and gymnastics, while contributing to economic diversification and community benefit.

The staged redevelopment is designed to bring long-term value to the local economy, attract new investment and establish a sustainable use for a heritage asset.

Lithia expands UK presence with Hatfields deal

April Lara
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Lithia expands UK presence with Hatfields deal

Lithia UK has completed the acquisition of Hatfields Group, finalised on 30 September 2025. The transaction covers four Land Rover dealerships and an OMODA JAECOO site, marking the group’s first move into the Chinese brand in Britain.

The deal takes Lithia UK’s Land Rover footprint to 11 locations, many also offering Jaguar services, with new coverage across Hull, Liverpool, Pickering, and Shrewsbury. The Hatfield operations will be integrated into Lithia’s Stratstone luxury and exotics division while continuing under the Hatfield’s name. Staff will remain in post.

The OMODA JAECOO dealership in Hull will join Lithia’s Evans Halshaw division, which already works with brands including BYD, Ford, and Vauxhall. This brings a new OEM partner into the portfolio at a time of growing interest in emerging global marques.

Hatfields, established in 1922, has a long-standing history with Jaguar Land Rover, including recent industry recognition. Lithia UK confirmed the move strengthens its representation of Jaguar and Land Rover’s full model range while broadening its geographic reach in the North of England.

Arup appointed to lead UK cement and lime decarbonisation project

April Lara
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Arup appointed to lead UK cement and lime decarbonisation project

Arup has been selected by Peak Cluster to oversee the Environmental Impact Assessment and technical documentation for the Development Consent Order on the UK’s largest cement and lime decarbonisation project.

The initiative targets a sector that produces 40% of the nation’s cement and lime across Derbyshire and Staffordshire. The industry supports more than 2,000 regional jobs but generates over 3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, accounting for nearly a quarter of local emissions.

Peak Cluster’s plan involves building carbon capture plants at sites operated by Tarmac, Buxton Lime, Breedon and Holcim. Captured emissions will be transported through a proposed underground pipeline to Spirit Energy’s Morecambe Net Zero storage site, where permanent offshore storage is planned.

Arup will lead the environmental assessment and consent process, with AECOM and Quod providing additional expertise. The work will examine the environmental impacts of both the carbon capture facilities and the pipeline during construction and operation. It will also address integration with Spirit Energy’s offshore infrastructure.

Richard Lowe, Director of Energy Consenting and Development at Arup, commented: “We are delighted to be playing such a key role in the development of this transformative project, in which the UK National Wealth Fund have invested, and to build on our deep involvement from its earliest stages. Peak Cluster is working to secure a sustainable future for the UK cement and lime industry and act as a blueprint for similar developments across Europe and the rest of the world.”

The project is positioned as a blueprint for decarbonising heavy industry, supporting low-carbon product development and securing long-term industrial capacity in the UK.

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