A FATHER and son duo are celebrating a hat-trick of award wins to round off their first year in business.

Having launched their Meatball bar and restaurant in Harrogate's Station Bridge in March this year, David and Gareth Atkinson have gone on to win local, regional and now national awards.

The Yorkshire Meatball Co., which has served more than 50,000 Balls to more than 16,000 customers since opening, was nominated for and later won, the Newcomer of the Year title in the Harrogate Hospitality and Tourism Awards.

In November the restaurant was then named Yorkshire & Humberside Winner in the Big Start Up Loans Competition, a government funded initiative for new businesses.

Following the award wins the business has now been recognised as Restaurant of the Year in the national Startups.co.uk awards organised by the online resource for entrepreneurs.

CoFounder and managing director David Atkinson, said: "We are humbled by the warm welcome we have received from customers and competitors alike in Harrogate.

"The town has a thriving foodie community and to have been shortlisted for, and to have won such awards in what is only our first nine months as part of that community makes us incredibly proud."