Healthy dog snack brand Denzel’s has been recognised as one of the very best British food and drink businesses at a national awards final, after co-founders James Lacy and Nathan Perry were announced as the Animal Food Entrepreneur of the Year 2022.
London-based Denzel’s was one of more than 700 applicants who were whittled down to 14 Food & Drink Heroes winners by a panel of expert judges from industry-leading companies including Selfridges, McDonald's and Costa Coffee.
Food & Drink Heroes was launched in 2020 by the team behind the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, but was held for the first time in person this year in Wickham.
Mirroring the quality of applications, recent statistics show that the food & drink sector accounts for 20% of the UK’s overall manufacturing output, having contributed £28bn to the economy during 2020 alone.
The ceremony was part of the first ever Ideas Fest at Wickham Farm which brought together the business leaders of today for two days of expert talks, informal networking and a host of fun activities. The ultimate goal of the festival was to offer an alternative to the conventional business conference or networking event, underpinned by themes of people, planet and profit.
Nathan Perry, MD and Co-Founder of Denzel’s, said: “We are delighted to have won Animal Food Entrepreneurs of the Year. A big shout out to the team at Denzel’s for all their hard work over the last year, and to Food & Drink Heroes for putting on a fantastic event!”
With an estimated 58 million pets in the UK, the pet food market is big business. More and more brands are championing the case for fresh and natural alternatives, free from artificial preservatives, fillers and colourings. The judging panel were looking for a brand which brought to market an innovative brand that puts quality at the top of the agenda for our pets.
The judging panel said: “James and Nathan's passion for the business really shines through in this pitch. It is clear to see that the time spent on ensuring the product is authentic, in terms of being natural and sustainable, is appealing to the consumers of today and the growth achieved over the last 12-24 months is testament to this. The strong growth, done in a sustainable way, is what makes this product the winner of the category.”
They added: “A great concept, well executed and showing impressive growth. Well done.”
Food & Drink Heroes founder Francesca James said that all the finalists were exceptional: “The outstanding level of this year’s finalists have proved us right in thinking that UK food & drink entrepreneurs deserved an awards programme of their own to showcase the breadth of the industry. The competition was fierce, so those who were shortlisted should be assured that they have demonstrated an incredible level of determination, entrepreneurial spirit and drive.
“This year’s winners have undoubtedly had it tough given various circumstances affecting the UK over the past few years, so it’s more important than ever to us that we give these inspiring food and drink entrepreneurs a platform to be recognised and their companies showcased. This is especially the intention by holding the awards as part of a large-scale event like Ideas Fest, where we hope that the additional networking and learning opportunities they had there will help them to reach new highs going forward.
“We’re so proud of all of our 2022 Food & Drink Heroes for showing the tenacity to become leaders in their sectors - we wish them all the best of luck as they continue their business journeys!”
Full list of winners:
Alcoholic Drink Entrepreneur of the Year
Jay Bradley - The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. & Whiskey Wealth Club
Animal Food Entrepreneur of the Year
James Lacy & Nathan Perry - Denzel’s
Baked Goods Entrepreneur of the Year
Paul & Laura Clark - Phat Pasty Co.
Confectionary Entrepreneur of the Year
James Cadbury, Love Cocoa & H!P Chocolate
Export Entrepreneur of the Year
Sean Ramsden - Ramsden International
Health Entrepreneur of the Year
Wayne Starkey & James Whiting - Skinny Food Co.
Hospitality Entrepreneur of the Year
Louise Palmer-Masterton - Stem & Glory
Innovation Entrepreneur of the Year
Charlie Gilpin & Sam Moss - Stocked
Non-Alcoholic Entrepreneur of the Year
Ellie Webb - Caleño
Food Service Entrepreneur of the Year
Antoine Melon & Nicolas Payer - HOMETAINMENT
Producer of the Year
David Thompson & Tom Mellor - Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery
Start-Up Entrepreneur of the Year
Laura Riches & Laura Rosenberger - Laylo
Street Food Entrepreneur of the Year
Puneet Wadhwani, Patri Artisan Street Food and Drinks
Sustainability Entrepreneur of the Year
Jamie Crummie - Too Good To Go
