With the roar of an applauding crowd still in her ears, Rosie Pressland, winner of the Evening Press Business of the Year said: "Give me a table and I'll dance on it."

Rosie's Pocklington Montessori School earned a standing ovation at the glitter-ing awards ceremony at the Merchant Adventurers Hall in York last night after scooping a hat-trick of awards, plus the biggest accolade of all.

Her 45-staff school for 170 children who learn languages and maths beyond the norm, won the Small Business of the Year and the Progress Through People Award. Rosie herself won the Business Personality of the Year.

As Liz Page, Editor of the Evening Press, presented her with the winning trophy painting, she told the gathering of top North Yorkshire businesspeople: "We are sharing a vision - of a society blessed with children who are holistically developed, not just intellectually.

"We intend taking that all the way forward so that children of the future will emerge as good, better, well-developed people.

"You have taken an unconventional business and have allowed us to really, really fly..."

The awards, which featured Look North presenter Harry Gration as guest speaker and BBC Radio York broadcaster Colin Hazeldon as compere also saw expat-shopping.com, the York-based supplier of true British foods, complete the double-winning the New Business of the Year and the Innovative Use of New Technology Awards.