Cheltenham-based Hazlewoods was last night (September 23) crowned Advisory Firm of the Year at the annual South West Business Leader Awards 2021.

At a ceremony in Bristol, the corporate finance team claimed the top award, beating strong competition from more than 300 entrants.

Hosted by comedian Tom Allen, the event brought together businesses from across the South West region to recognise and celebrate the successes of the past year.

The judges praised Hazlewoods for the innovative way it delivers solutions to clients.

Collecting the award, James Morter, Hazlewoods partner, said: "We are all thoroughly delighted and proud to be recognised through this award, which is the result of an incredible amount of hard work from everyone in the team.

"It has been fantastic to see the exceptional levels of agility, innovation and perseverance demonstrated by our team and clients alike.

"It was an amazing evening and caps off another great year for our advisory business."

Josh Dornbrack, head of multimedia and content at Business Leader, said: "This is a huge achievement, considering there were over 300 entries overseen by our judging panel."

The panel visited and scored all of the entries over a two-month period, with 76 businesses shortlisted across 14 categories.

Andrew Scott, founder of the awards, said: "Congratulations to all of the winners. It was rewarding to see businesses getting the recognition they deserve, following a tough 18 months.

"Business can be a force for good and it was great to be back in person celebrating the best of the South West."

Hazlewoods corporate finance department is growing and consists of more than 40 staff, including five partners. So far this year, it has completed more than 100 deals, worth almost £600 million.