Mash Direct wins SME of the Year Award

Mash Direct, the Northern Ireland producer of vegetable sides and convenience meals, has won SME of the Year Award at the Daily Telegraph's Festival of Business 2017.

Based on a family farm at Comber in county Down, Mash Direct is now among Northern Ireland's most successful food manufacturers and is becoming a significant exporter to markets in Europe and the Middle East.

Mash Direct marketing director, Jack Hamilton says: "It was wonderful to be in a room filled with such enthusiastic and passionate people. The Festival of Business celebrates the best of business and we are blown away to accept the SME of the Year Award."

Mash Direct was established by husband and wife team Martin and Tracy Hamilton over a decade ago as a farm diversification project.

The Northern Ireland company now has a successful portfolio of around 40 products, the result of a longstanding commitment to innovation. It employs around 200 people in its processing operations on the family farm. The business has also won UK Great Taste Awards and the UK Food Manufacturing Excellence Award 2016.

The Telegraph awards, sponsored by Amazon, were announced at a VIP event at The Brewery in London, where Keynote Speaker Mary Portas held a Q&A session.

Now in their fourth year, the awards recognise the best small or medium-sized business in the country.

The Telegraph Festival of Business celebrated the brightest and the best in Britain's SME community. The awards consistently recognise fast growing small businesses with a strong presence in their chosen sector.

The judging panel consisted of Daily Telegraph editors, independent speakers, and a representative from the award sponsor.

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