Is your business one of Maidstone’s High Street Heroes for 2025?

Gullands Solicitors, in partnership with One Maidstone BID and Metro Bank have launched the search for Maidstone’s High Street Heroes 2025. The competition, which is now in its fourth year, aims to identify and say thank you to the local businesses and individual employees who have gone above and beyond to provide excellent customer service, as nominated by the public they serve.

The public have from 1 September to 30 September to nominate the businesses or service providers they would like to say thank you to by visiting www.gullands.com

New for this year, there are several categories:

· Café / coffee shop

· Pub/micro-brewery

· Restaurant

· Fast food / takeaway

· Charity shop / charity

· Hair / beauty / tattoo

· Retail

· Entertainment/leisure

· Financial / professional services / property

There will be an overall winner and runners-up for each category plus individual employees’ awards and a judge’s award.

Business owners can also nominate individual employees who they would like to single out for praise for going above and beyond their duty to help their customers. It is free to nominate and vote and the winners will be announced on 13th November 2025.

Paul Mannering, Business Manager at Gullands comments: “Our philosophy for the awards is to help support local, high-street businesses in and around the town centre of Maidstone and to say thank you to them for providing the type of customer service that you only get when dealing with customers face-to-face, and which sets them apart from other businesses. People still place a huge importance on being able to come into the town centre and to access shops and services or visit hospitality businesses, and we want to help encourage that. We will be mentioning all of the nominated businesses and employees on our social media channels, so follow #highstreetheroes2025 for updates.”

Melissa Hanley, Marketing and Communications Manager at One Maidstone BID comments: “This is a great opportunity for us all to say thank you to our high street business owners and their staff. We have a vibrant and diverse range of businesses in Maidstone, and we know the visitors to the town appreciate the extra mile they go. It’s also a great way for businesses to engage with their customers and encourage them to vote.”

Ben Sizer, Local Director, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells at Metro Bank comments: “Providing excellent customer service is one of the key offerings of high street businesses and it keeps customers returning and making a recommendation to family and friends. It’s hard to put a price on the value that brings to the business and to the wider town, but these awards have helped put many businesses on the map here in the town. We look forward to hearing more about how they have been serving their customers.”

The awards evening will be held at Maidstone United Football Club on 13 November 2025 and the nominees will be contacted once the voting closes.