Scottish food and drink sector turns up the heat at Private Business Awards 2012

A veritable buffet of Scottish food and drink firms have reached the finals of the second annual Private Business Awards beating over 600 high quality entries from across the UK.

Innis & Gunn Brewing Company, William Grant, Rosie’s Café and Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne, founder of Genius Foods are among the Scottish contingent to reach the UK finals which will be held in September.  Catering and support services firm, Entier was also singled out as finalist in the Scottish heats.

Throughout the economic crisis, Scotland and the UK has looked to the private sector to provide jobs and drive growth. Despite the ongoing challenges facing them, this sector has continued to demonstrate strong ingredients for growth and an entrepreneurial spirit. And it is their significant contribution and success in the domestic and global marketplace that is being celebrated through this awards programme.

The food and industry sector has been particularly resilient, with people around the globe enjoying the range of high quality products coming out of Scotland’s larder. We recently learned that exports last year, underpinned by a strong whisky industry, broke the £5 billion barrier for the first time –no mean feat!

But it is not just the food and drink sector that is flying the flag for Scotland. Other finalists include innovative emergency and critical care service, Vets Now, and Petroleum Experts (Petex), a cutting-edge oil and gas technology business.

The Private Business Awards shortlist contains recognisable names and brands alongside some less well known, but equally successful companies across the length and breadth of the UK.

It is a fantastic achievement and great news for Scottish business that such a healthy contingent – our crème-de-la- crème - has reached the final from over 600 UK-wide entries.

They form the life blood of our nation, and their contributions and successes deserve to be recognised.

The Scottish firms to reach the UK final are:

• Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne, founder, Genius Foods – Private Business Woman of the Year
• Innis & Gunn Brewing Company – Exporter of the Year
• Vets Now – Employer of the Year
• William Grant – Employer of the Year
• Petroleum Experts (Petex) – Private Business of the Year
• Rosie’s Café/Turning Point – Social Enterprise of the Year

Adding to the accolades for Scottish business the following were runners up making it through to the Scottish finals:  Balmoral Group;  Bright Purple Resourcing Limited; Mono Global Group Ltd; Street Soccer Scotland; Entier; and Sharon Munro of Barrhead Travel.

The winners of the UK Private Business Awards – which will be held in association with HSBC Private Bank and in support of the charity LEAP - will be announced on Thursday 6 September 2012.

Contact: Caroline Roxburgh    Tel: 0131 260 4265