Cotswold Fayre.

PAUL HARGREAVES, Director of Cotswold Fayre, 08456 121201, speciality food wholesaler, has been named the Institute of Director's South-East Director of the Year for 2008 in the category for businesses with a turnover up to 5m [pounds sterling]. In total there were nearly 300 nominations for the 5 categories awarded on 25th November 2008

Cotswold Fayre supplies speciality food and drink to over 1,100 farm shops, food halls, garden centres and delicatessens in the UK and Ireland--with over 1,600 product lines sourced from the UK and beyond. From a cellar in SE London in 1999, the company has grown by more than 20% each year and now has a turnover of 3m [pounds sterling] with 19 employees.

This year alone, over 500 new products have been added to the Cotswold Fayre portfolio by (Paul and his team), including Nudo and Waterthins. The company has also added a number of new product ranges to its portfolio during 2008, including Passion Shed and Zaramama's.

Paul started the Cotswold Fayre business to finance charity work for an inner-city church, and the company's charity associations continue, and job opportunities are often offered to those who might otherwise straggle to find employment. Paul is working to double turnover to 6m [pounds sterling] in the next five years.

As someone who is recognised as an innovator and leader within the speciality food trade, Paul's background is anything but orthodox! Paul has a degree in Zoology and prior to setting up his food businesses, set up new churches in inner-city London.

He says if it was not for his success within the food industry, he would probably be working with underprivileged people in the third world, helping them to start businesses of their own.