BUSINESS brains and experts in their field gathered for the 11th annual Brighton & Hove Business Awards earlier this evening.

The BAHBAs – presented in association with The Argus – were announced at All Saints Church in Hove.

The sell-out event was attended by more than 300 guests from around 100 different Brighton businesses and included the MPs from Hove and Brighton Pavilion, as well as the deputy mayor and the Lord Lieutenant of East Sussex, Peter Field.

The big winner on the night was The Big Lemon, winner of the Best Place to Work, as well as the Judges’ Award for the Business of the year.

Managing Director, Tom Druitt, received his award from Caroline Lucas MP.

Jeremy Burbidge, the Managing director of Ticketmedia which made the shortlist three times, was named managing Director of the Year.

Mike Gilson, editor of The Argus, introduced a new Chair’s Award which went to Matthew Murphy Electrical Services.

Mr Gilson said: “This company started only three years ago with a single employee and now has a staff of 12 and a turnover of half a million. And, wait for this, these guys won’t make you wait in all day for them to turn up for they have on-the-hour bookings.”

Other winners included this year’s Outstanding Brightonian, named as Sarah Springford, director of the Chamber of Commerce since 2008.

Presenting Sarah with her award, Mr Gilson cited Sarah’s terrific work with the Living Wage, saying she had "delivered some really amazing results on behalf of businesses in the city".

Sponsors for 2016 included Allied Irish Bank, Brighton and Hove Buses, Cardens Accountants, City Cabs, Dental Health Spa, Gatwick Airport, Gemini Print, Graves Jenkins, Martin Searle Solicitors, RBS, Robinson Low Francis, TSS Facilities and Yelo Architects.

The BAHBAs are supported by the Chamber of Commerce, Brighton and Hove City Council, Brilliant Brighton, the Brighton and Hove Food Festival, the Brighton Business Curry Club and Brighton and Hove Tourism Alliance.

For the full list of winners buy the print edition of The Argus tomorrow, and for a gallery of glitzy images plus more log on to theargus.co.uk