A Bristol business that created a women’s urinal and a Devon company that produces gifts from seaweed were among the winners at an awards ceremony held by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).
Peequal, which was spun-out of the University of Bristol, took home two prizes at the 2023 FSB South West Small Business’ Awards, held at the Winter Gardens in Western-super-Mare.
The business, which has designed its urinal for large outdoor events such as festivals, won the Business & Product Innovation Award and was also named Start-up Business of the Year.
Peequal co-founder Amber Probyn said she was “delighted” to have won the two trophies which were among 12 handed out to SMEs and entrepreneurs from all across the region at the ceremony.
Mr Probyn said: “We are so grateful to have won these awards as we are determined to let people know what we are doing and having other businesses and the FSB champion us like this really helps us to get our message out.
“You have to have a really strong belief when you start a business that what you are doing is right and these awards, judged by people who really know what it is like, will help to validate that belief.”
Husband and wife team Stuart and Charlotte Baker of the Devon Seaweed Company, also expressed their delight at becoming the best family business in the region thanks to their fast-growing business of creating gifts and artwork from seaweed left on the county’s beaches.
Ms Baker said: “It is an incredible honour to have won,” said Charlotte. “The standard of entries was so high, and it is just overwhelming to have been chosen. We are immensely grateful.”
Other winners included Simon Hall, a will writer from Exeter, Cornish mountain bike equipment provider Mucky Nutz and Dan Yates, from Wiltshire sustainability platform Greener, who scooped the Young Entrepreneur of the Year title.
The winners of all 12 of the regional awards will now be eligible to compete in the national finals of the 2023 FSB ‘Celebrating Small Business’ Awards.
BusinessLive publisher Reach plc is media partner for the FSB Celebrating Small Business Awards, which celebrate entrepreneurial success across the UK. Twelve area awards finals take place between February and April, with the UK finals this year taking place on May 18 in Birmingham.
Lee Nathan, the FSB’s Regional Chairman for the South West, said the quality and quantity of entries this year had “stunned” the judges.
Mr Nathan added: “Entries flooded in from all across our area and even picking regional shortlists for the categories was a nightmare for our judges let alone actually picking the winners.
“This was our unique chance to showcase what we all truly believe – that the South West has the best, most innovative and most creative small businesses in the whole of the UK.
Sponsorship for the event came from Reach plc plus NatWest, Tyl by NatWest, Aldermore, FSB Insurance, Weston College, Renishaw, Lexus Bristol and Gravity.
The full list of winners for the 2023 FSB South West Small Business Awards
Business and Product Innovation Award
PEEQUAL (Bristol )
Family Business of the Year
The Devon Seaweed Company (Newton Abbott, Devon)
Exporter of the Year
Mucky Nutz (Bude, Cornwall)
Sustainability Award
Feritech Global Ltd (Redruth)
Start-up Business of the Year
PEEQUAL (Bristol )
Diversity and Inclusion Award
Top Professionals Access Limited (Swindon, Wiltshire)
Micro Business of the Year
Habitat Aid Limited (Bruton, Somerset)
Self-employed/Sole Trader of the Year
Simon Hall (Exeter, Devon)
Larger Small Business of the Year
Charlton Baker (Devizes, Wiltshire)
Service Excellence
Right at Home (Poole, Dorset)
Community Award
Okehampton Community Kitchen Limited (Okehampton, Devon )
Young Entrepreneur of the Year
Dan Yates at Greener (Warminster, Wiltshire)
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