Lots of bottle pays off for caring couple
SOCIALLY responsible firm Fresh Pastures has been named the fastest growing and best business of the year.
Graham and Sharyn Morley set up the social enterprise back in 2006.
And now they employ 30 people at the firm’s base at Springfield Mills, in Ossett, in its operation delivering fresh locally-produced milk to schools across Yorkshire and Derbyshire
On Friday Fresh Pastures was named Fastest Growing business and Business of the Year in the Biz Awards.
Mrs Morley said: “Being recognised for all the hard work Graham and I have put into Fresh Pastures since it was established in January 2006 is a huge incentive to us and all our colleagues.
“Without their hard work and support, we could not have grown to be as successful as we are in such a short period of time.”
Fresh pastures has been expanding during the past three years and has now secured national supply contracts.
Social inclusion is top of the agenda for the company, which creates job opportunities for disabled people while supplying healthy milk to schools in class.
Mr Morley said: “The company has gone from strength to strength. We started off with just three of us and we now employ 30 staff. We are hoping to take on 20 more by the end of the year.
“Social enterprises are the future but you have to do it for the community. Last year we had a turnover of about 1.8m and I think we put 240,000 back into the community, both directly and indirectly, through taking people off benefits and the money they then spend in the local economy.”
The prizes were presented at the Royal Armouries in Leeds, in a ceremony attended by 400 guests and the deputy Lord Mayor of Leeds Andrew Barker.
The Biz Awards was founded in 2007 by Stephen Waud, from Bradford Enterprise Fund, and saw a record number of entries this year despite the economic climate.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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