Township of Norwich Chamber of Commerce Announce Awards Night Winners

Tuesday, 4 April 2023 10:44

By Robert Van Ryswyck

Photo Credit - Facebook: Township of Norwich

Over 300 people attended, including Norwich Township Mayor Jim Palmer, Oxford County Warden Marcus Ryan, and Oxford MPP Ernie Hardeman.

NORWICH - Gunn's Hill Artisan Cheese took home the Large Business of the Year Award at the Township of Norwich Chamber of Commerce Awards Night.

Gunn's Hill Artisan Cheese opened in 2011 than expanded its operation dramatically in 2015 after winning the Young Entrepreneur Award from the Business Development Bank of Canada.

Owner Shep Ysselstein says the business uses almost all of the milk produced by the Ysselstein family farm in the area. Wanting to remain an "artisan" cheese factory, he has no intention of using more than what the farm can produce.

A total of nine awards were handed out throughout the evening:

Business of the Year (Small): Norma's Coffee Bar
Business of the Year (Large): Gunn’s Hill Artisan Cheese
Farm Family of the Year (North Township): Schuurmans Farm Inc
Farm Family of the Year (South Township): Hoogenboom Family Farm Inc
Youth Citizen of the Year: Jazlyn Armstrong
Citizen of the Year: Randy Nobbs
Judy Cayley Award: Karen McSpadden
Agricultural Bursary Winner: Max Van den Borre
Essay Scholarship Winner: Kendra Hussey

Taking home, the Small Business of the year award, Norma's Coffee Bar has been serving the community since 1972. Originally named Jean's Coffee Bar, the business has since been taken over by Jean's daughter Norma Mason and her daughter Shannon Dyment.

Mason began working at the Coffee Bar at 18, and has continued for 48 years. Dyment started at 15 years-old, and enjoys seeing some of the regular customers grow up and have children.

"I've been here for a long time clearly, but I'm young so not that long"

This is the first time the event has been run since before the pandemic in 2019. Over 300 people attended, including Norwich Township Mayor Jim Palmer, Oxford County Warden Marcus Ryan, and Oxford MPP Ernie Hardeman.

View photos of this year's winners below, courtesy of the Township of Norwich: