IT was top-flight business as usual at The Japanese Shop in York's Coppergate Walk today after the magic night before - and the smile of triumph was still firmly on the face of proprietor Jez Willard and his wife, Hiromi.

The couple and their staff won the title of the 2004 Evening Press Business of the Year at an awards ceremony in the Voltigeur Suite at York Racecourse, having also won the Small Business of the Year and Retailer of the Year titles for what was adjudged to be a "faultless" enterprise.

A visibly-stunned Jez received the winning trophy from Evening Press editor Kevin Booth and told the 280 guests: "One award would have been marvellous, two would have been fantastic. But three is just bloody brilliant!" It made spurning the comfort zone of working for a big multinational and "jumping off the cliff" to start his own business completely worthwhile, he said. After partying long into the night, Jez opened up his York shop this morning and said: "I still can't believe it. There is nothing revolutionary about what we do, but we do it with passion." It was a double celebration for Jez and Hiromi who with 13 employees opened up their unusual shops first in Harrogate, then in York, building them into a £500,000 turnover venture.

Only four hours before last night's accolades began to pour in, they had sealed a deal to open a new Japanese Shop in Chester.

He said: "I was determined to get the contracts signed by 5pm so that whatever the outcome of the awards, we would have something to celebrate. Now there's reason to smile, whichever way you look."

Also taking top honours was 84-year-old Sir Donald Barron, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Sir Donald, who came to York as an accountant from Scotland 50 years ago, became chairman of Rowntree Mackintosh, pro-chancellor of the University of York, chairman for 15 years of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation Trustees, chairman of the York Millennium Bridge Trust, headed up numerous major financial institutions and was knighted in 1972.

Updated: 10:53 Friday, November 19, 2004