Around 500 companies across the technology retail and manufacturing industries in the UK were nominated for the 18th annual Amazon Growing Business Awards
Marshmallow brand Mallow & Marsh was among eight companies shortlisted for Young Company of the Year.
Separately, pladis, formerly United Biscuits, was shortlisted for the ‘The Triumph over Adversity Award’, along with five other companies, for its reaction to flooding near one of its factories following Storm Desmond in December 2015.
Mallow & Marsh
Mallow & Marsh is a fast-growing natural and handmade UK brand of marshmallows that has secured distribution in 1,500 stores nationwide, including at major chains such as Sainsbury’s, Starbucks and BP, since its inception in 2013.
The company appeared on Dragons' Den in 2014. – the UK equivalent of Shark Tank – to secure investment for a 10% equity stake.
Owner Harriot Pleydell-Bouverie turned down offers from investors Deborah Meaden and Peter Jones who were both seeking a larger share of the firm.
However, she later secured £150,000 ($170,000) from a Kickstarter campaign and from private investors for a 15% stake in the firm.
The company says it is bringing energy to the sugar confectionery category as Green & Blacks did for chocolate, and GU, Innocent and Tyrells did for their categories.
Pleydell-Bouverie said of the Amazon awards shortlisting: “We’ve never stopped innovating and it’s testament to the whole team’s efforts that we’ve passed so many milestones and are now gaining recognition in this awards process.”
The company’s innovations have included a raspberry marshmallow bar coated in 70% dark chocolate with less than 150 calories per 35 g serving.
Pladis and Storm Desmond
Pladis was shortlisted for the ‘The Triumph over Adversity Award’ after its factory in Carlisle, UK, was submerged under 39.2m litres of water following Storm Desmond.
The plant, which produces 80,000 tons of biscuits a year and employs 640 local people, was forced to close before the busy Christmas period.
The company set up an office outside the flooded factory to re-establish communications while the plant was without power.
Pladis also developed a plan to resume production as quickly as possible, while its factory workers helped the affected community by delivering McVitie’s biscuits door to door.