Dorchester Town Council and Dorchester Business Improvement District (BID) announced that Serenity Nails & Beauty on High West Street has been crowned the winner of the inaugural Dorchester Shopfront of the Season Awards – Autumn Charm Edition.
Serenity Nails & Beauty have won a cash prize of £500 and will be invited to be a guest judge for the Winter Shopfront of the Season Awards.
Judges Cllr Les Fry, Chair of the Town Centre Action Group and Nick Rawlings, Dorchester BID Director commented that “Serenity have created a beautiful Autumnal window display and whole frontage is bright and welcoming. The building is well maintained, has level access and the shop sits well in the street scene.”
The judges visited the five businesses that received the highest number of public nominations and were “thrilled with the number of nominations from the public and very proud of Dorchester and all of the wonderful businesses that were nominated”.
A total of 313 nominations were received overall for 43 town centre businesses. Businesses were nominated based on the following criteria:
- Sympathetic to the heritage setting and conservation area
- Accessible and inclusive
- Inviting and welcoming
- Well maintained
- Attractive and distinctive window display
The Finalists Were:
- Creative Image Studios – Art classes and creative workshops in Antelope Walk
- Serenity – Nails and Beauty on High West Street
- Forever Ink – Tattoo Studio in Nappers Court
- Teasel and Skylark – Bookshop on Trinity Street
- The Fridge – Delicatessen in Tudor Arcade
The Winner Serenity received glowing praise in the online public nomination forms, with comments highlighting their immaculate seasonal displays, welcoming staff, and commitment to brightening up the high street. Many noted how their thoughtful decorations bring joy throughout the year, from Christmas to Easter, Halloween to Summer.
Sharon Page, Owner of Serenity Nails & Beauty said “I’m absolutely thrilled to have won — it’s such a lovely surprise! I was already so pleased just to be one of the five finalists, but to actually win is overwhelming. I want to say a big thank you to all our wonderful clients who voted for us. We’ve been creating seasonal window displays for almost 21 years now, and it’s something we really love doing. It’s all about bringing a bit of colour and joy to our clients, our staff, and everyone in Dorchester who passes by. Dorchester is such a wonderful place to work and visit. We’ve already started working on our Christmas window — I can’t wait to share that next! And well done to all the other businesses who took part — it means a lot to be part of such a creative community.”
The following quote was given on behalf of the BID Board “The Dorchester BID has been delighted to be partnering the Dorchester Town Council on this project, and we were overwhelmed by not just the quantity of entries but also the quality! It made life very hard indeed for the judges to select the overall winner but, Serenity were very much worthy winners this time around – Many congratulations to Sharon and her lovely team. We can’t wait for the next competition for the winter season windows, the bar has been both set and raised!”
Winter Nominations Open Soon Nominations for the Winter Seasonal Shopfront Awards will open on 10th November. Keep an eye out and help us celebrate the businesses that make Dorchester Town Centre shine through the festive season
