A Shepton Mallet company has secured two finalist places in this year's Somerset Business Awards, as organisers confirmed the shortlist following months of judging visits across the county.

Haskins Furniture has been named a finalist in both the Service Excellence Award and the Business Resilience and Growth Award categories, putting the town firmly on the awards map ahead of the 2026 final.

Judges spent hours visiting shortlisted businesses, charities and organisations across Somerset before reaching their decisions, meeting teams on site and assessing how they operate day to day.

The awards, run annually by Somerset Chamber of Commerce, are celebrating their 21st anniversary this year. Finalists for 2026 come from across the county, including Yeovil, Weston-super-Mare, Bridgwater, Taunton, Cheddar, Langport, Glastonbury and Shepton Mallet.

Glastonbury is also represented on the shortlist, with The Sleek Easy Clean named as a finalist in the Medium Business of the Year category. No Wells-based businesses appear on the published list of finalists this year.

The awards are once again supported by main sponsor Albert Goodman, with the grand final set to take place at the Bath & West Showground on Thursday, 26 March 2026. The ceremony will be hosted by BBC Points West Business Correspondent Dave Harvey.

David Crew, managing director of Somerset Chamber of Commerce, said the judging process had been particularly competitive, with categories such as Service Excellence, Small Business of the Year and Investing in Somerset attracting strong entries.

He said that despite challenging trading conditions, businesses and charities across Somerset continued to submit high-quality applications, adding that the awards were designed to recognise and celebrate that work.

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Albert Goodman partner Mike Cahill said the awards offered businesses the chance to raise their profile, motivate teams and create new opportunities, describing Somerset's business community as vibrant and resilient.

Winners of the Somerset Business Awards 2026 will be announced at the March final.

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