WHISKY GIFTWARE FIRM SCOOPS TWO TOP BUSINESS AWARDS

Staff at whisky giftware firm Angels’ Share Glass are celebrating after winning two top business awards.

The Stirling company, run by father-and-daughter team Tom Young and Karen Somerville, has been named Scottish Family Business of the Year by The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).

The firm also won the organisation’s Scottish Business and Product Innovation Award for its unique whisky water dropper.

Angels’ Share Glass faced tough competition from other small businesses to become regional winner in each category following judging for the FSB and Worldpay UK Business Awards 2017.

Managing Director Mrs Somerville said: “We’re absolutely delighted to win these two awards which are a real tribute to our staff and a great honour for us all.

“Our company has seen phenomenal growth since we launched four years ago, and the news couldn’t come at a better time as we have just celebrated our fourth birthday.

“It’s fantastic to get this kind of recognition from such an important organisation in the business world.”

The FSB Awards are aimed at recognising and rewarding the excellence, resilience and innovation of SMEs across the country and are open to all companies with less than 250 employees.

The Best Family Business Award champions the major contribution family firms make to business and staff at Angels’ Share Glass were delighted its family roots and ethos were recognised by the judging panel.

Meanwhile, the Business and Product Innovation Award highlights innovations which have successfully transformed a company and improved performance.

It was in this category that the firm’s ground-breaking whisky water dropper, created by Master Glassblower Tom Young MBE, caught the judges’ eye.

The elegant glass pipette, which allows whisky connoisseurs to add water to their dram one drop at a time, is the firm’s best-selling product and has won plaudits from buyers all over the world.

Mrs Somerville said: “Demand has been fantastic since we launched the dropper which was created following feedback from drinkers who told us they often ended up spoiling their drams by adding too much water.

“We spotted a gap in the market and came up with the dropper which means whisky lovers can now add water to their drink with precision and style.”

Angels’ Share Glass, which creates a range of giftware for whisky lovers, is now waiting to discover whether the firm has made it through to the next round of the competition.

Further judging is currently underway to select the top scoring regional winners from each category who will then battle it out to win the national title.

The national winners are due to be announced at a glitzy ceremony hosted by the first winner of TV’s ‘The Apprentice’ Tim Campbell MBE in London next month.

For more details on Angels’ Share Glass, visit the website – www.angelsshareglass.com

Notes:

Angels’ Share Glass is a family-run business based in Bridge of Allan, near Stirling. The firm is co-directed by Karen Somerville and her father Tom Young – a world-renowned Master Craftsman who has been glassblowing and making lamp-work glassware for nearly 60 years. More information about the company can be found on the website at www.angelsshareglass.com