Already a leader in the frozen yogurt marketplace, North Wales producer Plas Farm Ltd has now received the UK’s highest accolade for business – The Queen’s Award For Enterprise.
The highest award that can be bestowed on a company the prestigious awards are made annually by Her Majesty The Queen, and are only given for the highest levels of excellence demonstrated in each category.
Anglesey based Plas Farm was presented with its award on behalf of Her Majesty by the Lord-Lieutenant of Gwynedd, Mr Edmund Seymour Bailey, at a ceremony in Llangefni.
“It really is an honour to receive this award which is a mark of quality and success,” said Plas Farm’s founder and director, David Williams.
“It is also testament to the hard-work of the Plas Farm team whose enthusiasm and commitment has put our company at the forefront of the industry at home and abroad. It is an award of which we can all be extremely proud.”
The company, which has a growing global customer base, received its award for ‘excellence in International Trade’ in recognition of its export success.
Export sales have increased year on year, soaring from 5% to 40% of its annual turnover and positioning Plas Farm as the frozen yogurt sector’s leader in Europe.
Dairy farmer David Williams had been producing chilled yogurts and cheeses for over 30 years, before switching to the manufacture of frozen yogurt.
Now the company has a £2 million turnover and employs 20 full-time staff, and over the past two years has doubled its production.
From its 18,000 sq. ft. purpose-built base at Gaerwen the company makes a range of frozen yogurt products including soft mix yogurt for use in soft serve machines, frozen yogurt for smoothies, yogurt portions for blending and scooping yogurts for both foodservice and retail.
Originating in the USA, frozen yogurt is an international dairy success story. In recent years the appeal of the creamy, yet fat-free dessert has seen rapid growth across the Atlantic with the European market almost ten times bigger in 2013 as it was in 2008.
Said Mr Williams, “We supply 40 different flavours to self-serve FroYo bars where customers are looking for a zero-fat, healthier alternative to ice cream. The FroYo bar market is an area which has really taken off both in the UK and Europe.”
“For us the biggest export markets are Ireland, Sweden, Cyprus and France, and we also have customers also in Tanzania, Greece, Spain, Norway, Germany and Qatar.”
Added Mr Williams, “We are really grateful to our UK customers for helping us develop the frozen yogurt concept and provide such a sound platform from which to take our business further afield.”
NOTES TO EDITORS
About The Queen’s Award for Enterprise
In April this year approximately 160 Queen’s Awards were announced for outstanding business achievement in the fields of International Trade, Innovation and Sustainable Development.
Winners of The Queen’s Awards can use The Queen’s Awards Emblem in advertising, marketing and on packaging as a symbol of their quality and success for a five-year period.
For more information about The Queen’s Awards visit www.queensawards.org.uk
For more information about Plas Farm Ltd please contact:
David Williams
Plas Farm Ltd, Celtic House, Gaerwen, Anglesey, LL60 6HR
Tel: 01248 422011 / 07718 159861
Email: david@plas-farm.co.uk
Web: www.plas-farm.co.uk
Issued by:
Sheila Coleman
Coleman Communications
Tel: 01792 410994 / 07968 357474
Email: sheila@colemancommunications.co.uk