Maria Whitehead of Hawkshead Relish wins South Lakeland Entrepreneur of the Year
The owner of a Cumbrian company which had recently received support from the University of Cumbria’s Business Innovation Project (BIP) has been named South Lakeland Entrepreneur of the Year.
Maria Whitehead of Hawkshead Relish received the £1000 prize, sponsored by Invest in Cumbria, at the Business 2 Business Exhibition in Kendal this November. The event was organised by South Lakeland District Council with Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency and Cumbria Chamber of Commerce. Hawkshead Relish is a family business run by husband and wife Mark and Maria Whitehead which produces award-winning pickles and relishes.
BIP offered specialist diagnostic, innovation audits for the manufacturing sector in Cumbria and North Lancashire and was part of the North West Higher Education Manufacturing Innovation and Design Partnership (NWHEMIDP). It started in February 2007 and had assisted over 60 small to medium sized enterprises by the time it came to an end in September 2008. It resulted in 38 new jobs; £640,000 of increased sales; 32 safeguarded jobs and £1.1 million of safeguarded sales. Some of the companies were also interested in participating in Knowledge Transfer Partnerships run by the University of Cumbria.
A business adviser supported and assisted the company throughout the innovative process, stimulating knowledge transfer and creating sustainable innovation, leading to business competitiveness and growth. Solutions implemented included consultancy, graduate recruitment services, student placements and a grant-finding service.
BIP assisted Hawkshead Relish in 2007, when it was undergoing significant change and development. It helped them introduce new processes, policies and attitudes, enabling Mark and Maria to consider different approaches to their business. As a result they have employed seven additional staff and are more aware of the need to continually innovate and keep pace with market trends.
Emma Watton, Business Advisor for BIP attended the Awards Ceremony:
“I was delighted to be able to witness Hawkshead Relish winning and receiving their award at the recent Business 2 Business event. Having worked with the company closely over the past 18 months it is extremely rewarding to see all of their hard work pay off.”
Maria Whitehead said:
“The Business Innovation Project helped us take off the blinkers and see the big picture. We’re no longer waiting for the phone to ring - we’re engaging more with our customers and developing relationships. Sometimes just bouncing ideas and thoughts with someone outside of our field of expertise helps us to see and focus on different aspects of the business. It is impossible in a small business to have all the knowledge or employ people with that level of expertise, so to be able to tap into this service and learn from it together makes us more efficient. We now have the confidence to know that we are doing things in the right way for the business to grow.”
For more information about the services currently available to business visit the School of Business and Enterprise website at www.cumbria.ac.uk/business|.
More information about Hawkshead Relish can be found at their website www.hawksheadrelish.com|.