Awards triple at Sammies for Around Noon

Around Noon, the Northern Irish food-to-go manufacturer, has won an unprecedented three accolades at the Sammies, the UK industry's leading awards.

The awards were for products within its successful Scribbles brand. The winning sandwiches were:

• Un-bleat-able Goats Cheese, Cranberries, Sweet Potato and mango MUNCH FEST (Overall New Sandwich of the Year)
• Avocado, Mozzarella and Sriracha Comin' at Cha (Seasonal Category)
• Un-bleat-able Goats Cheese, Cranberries, Sweet Potato and mango MUNCH FEST (Innovation Category)

Gareth Chambers, Around Noon chief executive, says: "I was appointed in 2012 and since then we have been putting in place a programme of transformation that has seen us recruit well over 100 new people, grow our turnover very significantly, and win new and exciting business.

"We see the award wins as an endorsement of our progress, but also an opportunity, due to the additional credibility it gives us in the likes of the London market. Currently, about £2 million of our turnover comes from sales in Great Britain, and we see a huge opportunity to radically increase that amount, which would have considerable benefits for our Newry base in terms of investment and employment."

Employing over 200 people at Greenbank Industrial Estate, Around Noon pipped competition from the likes of Marks & Spencer, Tesco, and Waitrose to collect the three awards at the Sammies.

Around Noon is a rapidly-expanding business, having almost tripled its workforce from 80 people just five years ago. And it is continuing to recruit.

With clients including Starbucks and Henderson Group, it is on course to increase its turnover from £14 million last year to around £20 million this year.

The latest awards, which were presented at a gala ceremony in London, reflect the company's strong commitment to innovation.

The Sammies 2017 - organised by the British Sandwich Association - were held in the Westbourne Suite, at the Lancaster London hotel. They are considered the Oscars of the sandwich business in the UK.

Pic Caption: Around Noon chief executive Gareth Chambers, left, and executive chef David Graham celebrate the company's latest successes.