Sky Studios Elstree is Hertsmere's first Business of the Year. King Bee Animation, Elstree Aerodrome and a coffee van also won at the council's new awards.
Sky Studios Elstree has been named Business of the Year at Hertsmere’s first business awards. Six other firms and groups won prizes, from an animation studio at Elstree Studios to a coffee business.
Hertsmere Borough Council announced the winners on Tuesday. The event was hosted by Cllr Jeremy Newmark, the council’s leader, and every award carries his name.
The winners
| Award | What it recognises | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| Business of the Year | An all-round outstanding contribution to the local economy | Sky Studios Elstree |
| Business Growth | Growing, expanding, creating jobs or investing locally | King Bee Animation |
| Emerging Business | A newer business with strong potential | Roaming Roast |
| Innovation and Enterprise | A particularly innovative or forward-thinking business | London Elstree Aerodrome |
| Creative Industries Recognition | Ongoing contribution to the film and TV sector | Interactive Imagination |
| SME Networking Support | The work of local business networking groups | BNI Bentley |
| Corporate Social Responsibility Leadership | Action on sustainability, or support for community groups and charities | Hatch |
The descriptions are the council’s own.
Who some of the winners are
King Bee Animation works from Elstree Studios on Shenley Road. Its own website describes it as an animation studio with 23 years of experience, making work for brands, broadcasters and charities.
Sky Studios Elstree is the film and TV studio complex on Rowley Lane, Borehamwood.
London Elstree Aerodrome is the airfield between Borehamwood and Aldenham.
Roaming Roast is listed on an events supplier directory as serving speciality coffee from a small Piaggio Ape van, at film and TV shoots, schools and private events.
The council’s announcement gives no detail on Interactive Imagination, BNI Bentley or Hatch, and we could not confirm more about them from their own sites today. If you run one of them, tell us about it.
Why the council held them
The council says Hertsmere was named the UK’s top new business hotspot outside London in June, in an analysis of Office for National Statistics data. Neither release names who carried out that analysis.
According to the council, almost 900 new businesses were set up in the borough in a single year. Cllr Newmark told the audience that business turnover in Hertsmere reached £20.4 billion last year, up 19%. The council has not published the source for that figure.
“Behind these statistics and businesses are the people of Borehamwood, Bushey, Potters Bar, Radlett, Elstree and Shenley,” he said. “Here’s our challenge for next year: let’s lose the words ‘outside London’ and let’s be number one in the UK.”
On Wednesday, Cabinet backed a new Economic Development Strategy for 2026 to 2029. Full Council now has to adopt it. The strategy keeps the council’s one-to-one business support, its “Business Think Tanks” and its work with the Hertfordshire Film Office. Cabinet had already agreed £25,000 in September for business data and for training in digital, AI and green skills.
What it means for you
- If you run a business in Hertsmere, the council’s economic development team offers free advice, training and networking. The council has not said whether the awards will run again, or how firms would be put forward.
- If you are a young person interested in film and TV, the council’s Hertsmere Creative Futures programme is the other half of the same push.
- If you want to support the winners, most are small local firms. Our Borehamwood business directory lists others trading in the town.
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