The top accolade at this year's Glasgow Business Awards has gone to a coffee roasting business set up in the city in 1864.

Matthew Algie was named Glasgow’s "most outstanding business" at a ceremony held last night marking the 25th anniversary of the awards hosted by the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce. The Oatlands-based roastery also took home the award for sustainable development.

Employing more than 250 people, Matthew Algie has capacity to rost more than 2,500 tonnes of coffee annually following a recent multi-million pound investment. Owned by Germany's Tchibo since 2016, Matthew Algie was named best coffee roaster at the 2022 European Coffee Awards.

READ MORE: Glasgow Business Awards announces finalists for 2023

Packaging group Cullen Eco-Friendly was also honoured with two awards, taking home the top prize for international trade while chief executive David MacDonald was also named entrepreneur of the year.

Allied Vehicles took home accolades for both business resilience and best performing large business. The UK’s leading supplier of adapted and special-purpose vehicles, Allied previously won the award for most outstanding business at the 2019 ceremony.

Victoria Nicol of My Language Connection was named young business person of the year, having impressed judges by successfully transforming a Scottish start-up language translation company into an award-winning international medical translation agency.

The event, supported by media partner The Herald and The Glasgow Times, is sponsored by Royal Bank of Scotland. Comedian Fred MacAulay compared the night for the eighth year in a row, with the ceremony taking place at the DoubleTree by Hilton Glasgow Central, with a total of 17 awards presented in front of 650 guests.

Among the winners of the 17 awards presented in front of 650 guests were Peel Ports ClydePort (green champion); Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity (excellence in communications); and City of Glasgow College (fair and healthy workplace).

This year, Glaswegians voted through the Glasgow Times to select The National Piping Centre as their favourite business against strong competition from five other leading Glasgow businesses.

Bridget McConnell, recently retired as chief executive of Glasgow Life, received Glasgow Chamber’s lifetime achievement award for her role in cultivating the city's cultural heritage. Major events which took place under her tenure included the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the £30 million refurbishment of Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, and the opening of the £68m Riverside Museum.

The awards commenced in 1997 when they were held at what was then Thistle Hotel, and have grown from that initial audience of 250 people to become a champion of major achievements and business success throughout the city. The awards take place each year, with the only break being during the pandemic. 

“Congratulations to all of our winners, particularly Matthew Algie on taking home the Most Outstanding Business award, a highly deserved accolade," said Richard Muir, deputy chief executive of the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce. 

READ MORE: Chamber in final call for Glasgow Business Awards entries

“This year, we mark a quarter of a century of celebrating the successes and achievements of Glasgow’s business community. Over the years, we have had the honour of seeing businesses grow and realise their full potential, so it is an honour to recognise them for their innovation and dedication to the city.

“Thank you to Royal Bank of Scotland, our headline sponsor for a sixth year, to each of our category sponsors, and to the Herald and Glasgow Times for joining us as media partners.  

“It has been inspiring to celebrate the resilience and unbreakable spirit of Glasgow’s business community, which has spearheaded exceptional initiatives, achieved impressive growth and showcased international success despite the challenging circumstances faced in the last year.”

Judith Cruickshank, chair of Royal Bank's One Bank Scotland board, said: “Royal Bank of Scotland has a long and privileged relationship with the Glasgow Business Awards and once again this year’s event proved to be a great success. 

“It is a real celebration of the quality and diversity of the businesses which operate here in this city, and the ecosystem that exists to help companies of all scales and across all sectors thrive. This evening’s winners are truly deserving of their success and a great inspiration to the business community here in Scotland.”

The full list of winners are: Allied Vehicles (best performing large business); DMG Services (best performing small-medium business, sponsored by Beam Digital and Design); Allied Vehicles (business resilience, sponsored by Glasgow City Innovation District); Homes for Good (community wealth building , sponsored by Glasgow City Council); David MacDonald, Cullen Eco-Friendly Packaging (entrepreneur of the year, sponsored by Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie); Glasgow Children's Hospital Charity (excellence in communications, sponsored by The Herald); City of Glasgow College (healthy workplace, sponsored by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde); Wholesale Domestic Bathrooms (family business of the year, sponsored by Ambassador Theatre Group); Peel Ports Clydeport (green vhampion, sponsored by ScottishPower); Optimum Business Growth (innovation in business, sponsored by KubeNet); Cullen Eco-Friendly Packaging (international trade); Dear Green Coffee Roasters (net zero achievement, sponsored by Glasgow City Council); Matthew Algie (sustainable development, sponsored by Scottish Water); Victoria Nicol, My Language Connection (young business person of the year, sponsored by City of Glasgow College); The National Piping Centre (Glasgow's favourite business, sponsored by The Glasgow Times); Matthew Algie (most outstanding business, sponsored by the Royal Bank of Scotland); and Bridget McConnell (award for lifetime achievement, sponsored by Glasgow Chamber of Commerce).