The Llanllyr Water Company has rounded off a remarkable year with not one but two accolades at the prestigious Food from Britain Export Awards 2007.
The Ceredigion company, which specialises in producing premium quality bottled waters, beat off stiff competition to be named ‘Drink Exporter of the Year’. This was followed by a second early Christmas present in the shape of the Welsh Assembly Government sponsored ‘Welsh Exporter of the Year’ award.
In just four years, the Talsarn-based company has developed its international business which now represents a fifth of all sales, with year-on-year growth reaching 50 per cent in the last 12 months alone.
“We are absolutely delighted,” said Llanyllyr’s Dirctor, Patrick Gee. “To win Welsh Exporter of the Year is tremendous, but to then pick up the best British Drink Exporter of the year is beyond our wildest expectations.
“It has been a fantastic year for us, we were winners in the Ceredigion Business Awards, best newcomer and highest scoring UK water in an international blind tasting by Imbibe Magazine, and last month we won a True Taste Award.”
Winning the export awards he believes will further enhance the company’s reputation at home and abroad.
“When I set up the business seven years ago I did not expect any of this, and it is a credit to the team we have at Llanllyr.”
Added Llanllyr Water’s Chairman, Mark Swanwick, “We are absolutely over the moon to have won these prestigious awards.
“We have faced some logistical challenges in markets such as North America that have really tested our capabilities, but we have built on these and the international business is now stronger than ever before. The whole team has put a huge amount of effort into building the company that we are proud of today, so this is the perfect reward.”
John Adams, Chief Executive of Food from Britain, commented, “Llanllyr Water is a truly deserving winner of its awards. The team has shown a real commitment to exporting, using all the tools available to ensure ongoing international success. Their solid strategic proposition combined with big ideals impressed the judges and the results show the impact exporting can have on overall business performance.“
Also short listed in the Welsh Exporter category was Anglesey sea salt company, Halen Môn.
Now in their 11th successful year, the Food from Britain Export Awards bring together the cream of the country’s export companies to recognise achievements and celebrate success from across the UK’s food and drink industry.
