Approved Food in Business Hunt to meet the Dragon

Approved Food has been chosen as one of three regional winners of the Local Business Accelerators competition to find Britain’s promising young local companies with the most growth potential.

The Sheffield-based business was selected alongside energy-saving specialist Compliance 365 of Wakefield and logistics training provider Viamaster of Morley as the winners from the 33 entries from the Yorkshire region.

Dan Cluderay, owner of Approved Food, said: “It is tremendous to be selected in the final three in our region and to follow Ilkley Brewery into the national final would be very exciting. It is testament to the hard work that everyone at the company has put in. I’d also like to thank our loyal customers. It’s a very good business we have already but the hard work continues to grow and be the very best we can be.”

Prime Minister David Cameron said that the 2012 winner Ilkley Brewery had, “gone from strength to strength, growing its sales by 140 per cent.” He added, “I would like to congratulate all the local winners and wish them all the best for the national final.I hope this year’s winners will go on to enjoy similar success.”

All three businesses will receive mentoring from senior business leaders and free advertising in the Yorkshire Post. One will be chosen to enter the national final where mentoring from campaign ambassador Deborah Meaden, the entrepreneur and star of the BBC’s Dragons’ Den is up for grabs.

Approved Food trades online and sells short-dated grocery goods and allows its customers to benefit from huge savings.

Roger Marsh, of Leeds accountancy firm PwC, will mentor Approved Food. He said: “There is one thing that has remained constant throughout the tough economic landscape and that is the relentless drive and ambition shown time and time again from entrepreneurs across the region. Approved Food demonstrates these attributes in spades and I look forward to working with the senior management team towards achievement of their significant growth aspiration during 2013.”

The competition is backed by over 500 newspapers across Britain who are supporting the Newspaper Society’s campaign to give a boost to young businesses and help invigorate local communities. The three regional winners were chosen by a Yorkshire Post judging panel.