BUSINESSES are being urged to act fast to secure a place at this year’s Dorset Business Awards gala dinner.

Eleven companies will walk away with trophies at the event at the BIC on Thursday, November 26.

BBC business correspondent Jonty Bloom will host the county’s biggest business event, while celebrity chef Rick Stein will be in attendance.

Jonty Bloom has covered the Greek crisis, the euro zone crisis, EU summits and the impact of terror attacks on the world’s stock markets. An award-winner himself, he has twice won the Wincott Foundation Award for Radio Programme of the Year and been the Royal Statistical Society’s Journalist of the Year.

Rick Stein is Dorset’s latest celebrity investor, with a restaurant due to open in Sandbanks later this year.

The gala dinner, in association with the Daily Echo and Dorset Echo, will take place in the Windsor Hall in front of 800 business people, dignitaries, MPs and media.

Ian Girling, chief executive of Dorset Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: “The awards dinner is a great opportunity to celebrate some very worthy winners, but it’s also a fantastic opportunity for the best businesses across every industry sector to meet each other.

“We’re delighted to welcome Jonty Bloom as host for the evening. He will provide a great insight in to the national and international business world.”

The awards are also backed by leading radio station Wave 105 and the awards website at dorsetbuinessawards.co.uk is sponsored by RT Media.

To buy tickets for the gala dinner, contact Lorraine Hubbard on 01202 714810 or email lorraine.bhubbard@dcci.co.uk

Before October 9, tickets cost £75 plus VAT each or £700 plus VAT for a table of 10 for Dorset Chamber members, while tickets for non-members cost £85 plus VAT per person or £800 plus VAT for a table of 10.

From October 10, tickets cost £85 plus VAT per person or £800 plus VAT for a table of 10 for chamber members, while tickets for non-members cost £95 plus VAT per person or £900 plus VAT for a table of 10.