FSB Devon Business Awards 2008

Slideshow photographs that were taken on the evening which are on a pdf file for you to view. If anyone would like any of the photo's please e-mail the Regional Office and they will be sent to you by e-mail.

Overall County Winner - Sponsored by BT

Bays Brewery - Paignton

Will Freeland & Mark Salmon receiving the trophy

from Sally Wilcox - Regional Director of BT

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Business Award for Best New Business

Sponsored by Maynard Johns

Bays Brewery - Paignton - Winner of the category

Will Freeland started brewing with Skinners Brewery in Cornwall in 1996 and was the Head Brewer there for over 10 years. Mark Salmon is the Managing Director and principal shareholder of SSG Training and Consultancy, a successful health and safety training and consultancy company based in Plymouth.

Mark says, " It was always my intention to set up a new business manufacturing a consumer product and for Will, his ambition was to ultimately operate his own brewery. We both felt we had the core skills needed to start such an operation. After an initial market research exercise we made the decision to establish a new brewery in Torbay where it was felt we could make a real impact and create a brand for Torbay that the community would feel proud of.

We began in March 2007 when we signed a lease on an old 5000 square foot steel fabrication unit in Paignton. The transformation began towards the end of March and by the middle of June, after some considerable construction and installation works, we were running our first brew through our 20 barrel plant. The first two brews, Best and Gold, were successfully launched into local pubs simultaneously in the first week in July.

With Will Freeland's brewing expertise we were quickly able to establish an efficient and consistent brewing regime. Bottles were launched in August 2007, the brewery shop was opened in October 2007 and our third ale, Bays Breaker, was made available to our drinkers in November 2007. Our plans for the foreseeable future are to continue with our mission of providing first class, premium beers for our drinkers to enjoy and to establish Bays as the beer of choice in Devon."

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Business Award for Service Excellence

Sponsored by Vehicle Save

Insideout - Tavistock - Winner of the category

Nicky & Paul Edmunds established Insideout, a growing retailer of contemporary lifestyle products offering a diverse range of accessories, gifts and inspirational items for the home and soul. Taking a calculated risk due to their desire to grow a business relating to their interests they now have three stores and an online shop. As an owner led business Nicky & Paul work on the frontline with their teams to ensure that their customers's needs are met and exceeded.

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Business Award for Innovation

Sponsored by Towergate

The Fox & Hounds Hotel - Chulmleigh - Winner of the category

Tara & Nick Culverhouse bought the Fox & Hounds, having previously run it as managers. They have turned the business around as it had previously been consistently losing money, and it has grown continually as a wedding venue. Tara & Nick came up with the idea of an Ebay package, the first in the UK (and quite possibly the world) to help fill the less popular days for weddings such as mid-week and Sundays. They charge £1,000 for the all-in-one wedding deal which includes civil ceremony in the hotel's chapel, 3 course dinner for 20 people, wine and champagne for the toast, plus overnight stay for the bride & groom in a gorgeous four poster bridal suite. The only condition is that guests book (and pay for themselves) a minimum of 9 rooms.

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Business Award for Best E-business

Sponsored by BT

Safety Services Direct Ltd - Bideford - Winner of the category

Oliver & Daniella Whitefield run Safety Services Direct Ltd, Health & Safety Consultants and On-line Retailer of Safety Related Products. As an internet company their website has been designed using a ‘Content Management System' so that they can amend, add and change information or products in real time. Safety Services Direct hosts in addition to their main website, a number of supporting websites that provide a source of information and guidance to their customers. All of the websites target specific areas of the services that they wish to focus on. For example one of the websites relates to Asbestos and is not only an information site but provides an on-line database for organisations to manage their asbestos registers from which they can share information in a secure format with suppliers and tradesmen, thereby reducing the risk of such tradesmen encountering asbestos containing materials and contracting fatal asbestos related diseases.

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Business Award for Enterprise

Sponsored by Natwest Business

The Old Bag Company - Kingsbridge - Winner of the category

Sally Hurst initially recognised a gap in the market for a practical, well thought out beach bag with real appeal, whilst on the beach with her family. Since the first collection Sally has listened to feedback designing a whole range of other bags and has always been conscious of the need to continue producing appealing new designs and colours.

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Business Award for Envrionmental Responsibility

Sponsored by FSB Devon Region

Alder & Alder - Exeter - Winner of the category

Jonathan & Charlie Alder run a Graphic Design company in Exeter and have embarked on a mission to help businesses reduce the environmental impact of their marketing. They launched an initiative called ‘Today and Tomorrow', that encourages companies to do what they can today, to improve tomorrow. At the heart of ‘Today and Tomorrow' is a website that provides local businesses with helpful advice and clear steps to greener marketing, including practical steps that any business can follow.

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