On Friday evening Ballymena Chamber of Commerce and Industry held a BBQ at Galgorm Spa and Golf Resort to celebrate the Chamber’s Centenary.

Chamber President Robin Cherry MBE and the chamber’s longest serving member Roy Bonar with Marta and Thomas Gomula of Old Mill Bakery, (formerly George Leith’s) who baked a special cake for the chamber Centenary barbeque. The cake for the 90th anniversary had been baked by George Leith

The evening was informal with over 70 members of the local business community and their families coming along to share in the festivities. After being treated to some ‘fizz’ and soft drinks on arrival the guests then had the opportunity to sample a range of tasty food from the BBQ. Chamber President Robin Cherry MBE made a short speech in which he thanked the guests for their attendance and for their continued support of Chamber. Robin thanked all those who were working with Chamber to support and nurture business in the Ballymena Area and made particular mention of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council whose Chief Executive Anne Donaghy was in attendance. At this stage Robin announced it was time to ‘cut the Chamber’s birthday cake’ and he invited Roy Bonar, the Chamber’s longest standing ‘life member’ together with Marta and Tomas Gumula, proprietors of the Old Mill Bakery in Church Street to do the honours. Indeed Marta and Tomas in addition to baking the wonderful cake are the newest members of Ballymena Chamber of Commerce and it was fitting to have Roy such a long standing stalwart of Chamber and the new business owners to be involved in the celebration. Tom Wiggins, the Chamber’s Business Development Manager was delighted that so many members had attended and it was clear that everyone enjoyed a wonderful evening. Tom also remarked that it was pleasing to note that in such a momentous year for Ballymena Chamber ‘that Chamber is continuing to grow with increasing numbers of local businesses coming on board’.

The evening saw the guests mingling and enjoying the lovely summer weather in the Mulberry Garden. The Chamber’s next major event will be the Ballymena Business Excellence Awards which will be held in the Tullyglass House Hotel on Thursday 24^th October. The Gala awards evening has become the highlight of the local business calendar and full details can be found here on the Chamber website.