If ever the people of our fair state needed a daily welcoming embrace from strangers, it has been this year.

Given the slow rate of COVID recovery across the state, it felt good – soothing, even – to bear witness to the City of Onkaparinga 2021 Business Awards on Wednesday night.

For small businesses, particularly those in hospitality and tourism, or working in close proximity to customers, trading under ‘eased’ restrictions has been undeniably challenging.

The awards are proof that a smiling face, big hug and kind heart are a perfect antidote to those recurring pandemic blues.

Onkaparinga Engagement Officer Dara Boucher said awareness of this year’s awards, the third since their inception, was turbo-charged by the local businesses themselves.

“This year we changed it up by facilitating a business-led campaign, and have blitzed all our previous results,” Dara said.

“We produced digital marketing assets for businesses to promote their involvement in the Awards, and it gained momentum and just kept growing. We got 14,138 unique votes for 438 individual businesses.

“It’s a real testament to the loyalty that our local business community has built.”

The Onkaparinga Business Awards recognise and celebrate the success of businesses in the region.

“The motivation was to highlight and celebrate the businesses that we have in the City of Onkaparinga… to draw awareness to the variety that we have here, to encourage local spend and to really just celebrate them,” Dara said.

Winners in each category received a marketing package including social media promotion via South Aussie With Cosi and Adelady, a visit from Onkaparinga Mayor Erin Thompson and a trophy.

Fittingly, the trophy is a beautifully crafted letter O, for Onkaparinga. Or, if you like to sign off your correspondence with an old fashioned X and O, it makes a lovely reminder of those virtual hugs.

The City of Onkaparinga 2021 Business Awards winners are:

Exceptional Food/Drink:

Coffee
Coffee Factory Café

Restaurants, Cafés, and Mobile Food Vendors
Manna McLaren Vale

Producers, Wineries, Distilleries, Breweries and Pubs
Ginny Pig Distillery

Outstanding Service Providers:

Professional Services
Cabana Productions and Pooch Palace Seaford (joint winners)

Beauty, Fitness and Wellness
Darlington Medical Centre

Manufacturing, Construction and Trade
Shane Stevens Plumbing

Extraordinary Experiences:

Tourism Operators and Attractions
Gone AWOL

Accommodation Providers
Century 21 SouthCoast

Retailers
Adelaide Fresh Fruiterers