AN HISTORIC Weymouth coffee shop will be featured on railway advertising billboards in Weymouth after winning a prestigious award launched to celebrate the best of local business.

Family-run Suttons Coffee Shop, St Alban Street, will be featured at the station later this year as part of a free advertising package worth £10,000, as well as winning £2,000 worth of new equipment in a competition run by South Western Railway.

Dorset Echo:

The rail operator launched the Local Business Awards to support traders in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Gold prize winners Suttons - originally a greengrocers - retains much of its traditional charm from when it was established in 1878.

Now owned by husband and wife Matthew and Amanda Mitchell, who bought the business from Matthew's parents in 2002, the café has just scooped the top prize after receiving a huge number of positive comments from loyal customers, and have also been featured on local radio stations as part of their prize.

Mr Mitchell said: "I'm ecstatic - it was a bolt out of the blue. I was sitting in a traffic jam when I got the call to say we'd won - I said 'I think you've got the wrong number!'

"The business has been in our family for 44 years."

Dorset Echo:

It is welcome news after the premises was struck by a fire back in November, which started in a flat above the café.

Mr Mitchell said: "We'd just had a refurb. One evening I got a call about 6pm and was told, 'your shop is on fire'.

"I rushed in and saw the place absolutely full of water - water was running down the newly-painted walls, the brand new ceiling was ruined, and we didn't have power for several weeks afterwards - so we're due some good luck."

Since the new 'Eat Out to Help Out' scheme came into force the café has been extremely busy.

"It's been unbelievably busy," added Matthew. "It's been lovely welcoming back locals - I think people were wary about eating out at first, but no-one can resist a bargain, can they?"

South Dorset MP Richard Drax passed on his congratulations to Suttons.

“I would like to offer my congratulations to Suttons on winning this award," Mr Drax said. "Businesses like Suttons are at the heart of our community and I’m delighted to hear that they have been selected as winners competing with businesses across South Western Railway’s network, helping put our town back on the path to recovery.”

Peter Williams, commercial director, South Western Railway, said: “This competition was all about championing small businesses on our network, and helping them through this difficult time.

"We are delighted to announce Suttons as one of our gold winners, and we hope the business equipment and station advertising helps them recover from the challenging circumstances that they have faced.”

As well as the Suttons win, two other local establishments were given silver awards in the same competition run by South Western Railway.

The 17th century Cross Keys pub in Sherborne was given the accolade for its efforts during the coronavirus pandemic. The pub has kept its doors open throughout and offered its kitchen to be used to make free meals for people in the local community.

Chris Loder, MP for West Dorset, said: "I’m delighted that The Cross Keys has been selected for silver in this competition and I’m grateful to SWR for their support with boosting our local economy here in Sherborne."

The Channel View Guest House in Weymouth also received a silver star award as a runner-up in the small, local businesses competition.

Peter Williams, commercial director of South Western Railway, said: "This competition was all about championing small businesses on our network and helping them through this difficult time."