Hinnies on East Parade is one of three finalists for the Retail and Service Provider Award. Winners are named on 19 November, at the end of Enterprise Week.
Hinnies, the restaurant on East Parade in Whitley Bay, is a finalist in the North Tyneside Business Awards 2026. The winners will be named next Thursday, 19 November.
The seafront restaurant is one of three finalists for the Retail and Service Provider Award, according to the awards’ own finalists page. That award recognises businesses in the retail and service sectors that “excel in delivering exceptional customer experience”.
Hinnies announced the shortlisting on its website. “Our Whitley Bay restaurant has been named a finalist in the Retail & Service Provider category, alongside two other fantastic North Tyneside businesses,” the restaurant said. It thanked its guests and its team, and added: “Wish us luck!”
The restaurant serves Geordie-influenced dishes cooked from scratch, with lunch from Tuesday to Sunday, dinner from Tuesday to Saturday and brunch at weekends, its website says.
The 2026 finalists
The awards are run by North Tyneside Business Forum, and entry was free to businesses of any size in the borough. The finalists page lists these businesses and people:
| Award | Finalists |
|---|---|
| Retail and Service Provider | Hinnies, Rayfire, Lush Logistics |
| New Business | Harbour House, The Bay and a third business shown only by its logo |
| Green | Bees Bounty UK, Feral Hair Studio, Red Fox Tree Care |
| Digital | Monitor Coatings, Tyne Tunnels, Kiki’s Kabin |
| Heart of the Business | Barry Irving (Above & Beyond), Graham Donaldson (Fit Mind Boxing Warriors), Michael Patterson (Community Transport) |
The New Business Award is for a business that has made “an impactful start since January 2025”. The Heart of the Business Award commends a member of staff who has been “a real asset to the business”. The forum also runs a separate Community Impact Award.
The ceremony is at the Village Hotel, Newcastle upon Tyne, from 7pm to 11pm on Thursday 19 November.
Enterprise Week runs the same week
The awards close North Tyneside Enterprise Week, which runs from Monday 16 to Friday 20 November as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week. It is the third year of the event, Business North Tyneside says.
The council’s announcement names a Whitley Bay speaker. Kathryn Meadows of Nicholsons Butchers is the keynote at a business morning on Tuesday 17 November. Elected Mayor Karen Clark will also set out her Vision 2044 for the borough there.
The free sessions listed so far are:
- Monday 16 November, 1pm to 4pm: Toolkit to Starting a Business, at the Business Centre, North Shields, for people starting out or in their first 12 months of trading
- Monday 16 November, 10am to 4pm: BIPC North East business drop-in, North Shields Library
- Tuesday 17 November, 9.30am to 11.30am: A Vision for North Tyneside’s Future, at Wallsend Boys’ Club
- Wednesday 18 November: Be Your Own Boss day for young people, at the North Tyneside Youth Hub in the Wallsend Working Well Hub
- Thursday 19 November, 10am to 4pm: Useful Stuff for Artists, at Helix Arts, North Shields
The starting a business session covers legal structures, National Insurance and tax, insurance and licences, finance, business bank accounts, premises, market research and marketing.
What it means for you
- If you are thinking of starting a business, the Monday afternoon session in North Shields is the one aimed at you. Booking is through the Business North Tyneside page for each event.
- If you are a young person curious about self-employment, the Wednesday youth hub day in Wallsend brings in advice from Business North Tyneside and The King’s Trust.
- If you eat at Hinnies, the result will be known on the night of 19 November. We will add it here.
Business North Tyneside can be reached on 0191 643 6409 or at business@northtyneside.gov.uk.
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