ALL of the entrants are now in for the Hereford BID 2017 Business Awards.

Next month, the Hereford Times will be publishing a supplement of the shortlist in each category.

During the next few weeks we will be randomly picking entrants from some of the categories to highlight businesses which have entered.

This week, we turn to the Independent Business of the Year category.

C V Osborne Jewellers/Goldsmith in Church Street is just one of the many entries.

The shop had traded in the city for more than 30 years.

Owner Colin Osborne said: "We feel we truly symbolise the independent; a business that gives very personal, dedicated and local service to our customers and always strive to be the best we possibly can."

Colin completed his apprenticeship in Australia before moving to the UK some 30 years ago where he started at Bastion Mews before moving to Union Street for 25 years.

Due to expansion he then moved into Church Street and has been there for five years.

The shop's core business has been the retail and repair of high quality jewellery pieces and in recent years it has also moved into watches, clocks and pewter.

Colin said: "The customer base has continued to grow with generations of the same family coming back. In the last five years we have expanded into clocks, watches and pewter, in addition to our traditional and established business of jewellery repairs.

"Customer service is our absolute watch word. We have always strived to do what we say we will do and by the time given. Our business is about high quality craftsmanship - such is our hard earned reputation that we see generations of the same families coming back to us year after year, either to purchase or have us repair their highly valued pieces."

The business has been modernised with a new website and also uses social media.