Cleone Foods Ltd, has retained Big Tick status, and secured the new Santander Responsible Small Company Award at this year’s Business in the Community’s (BITC) Awards for Excellence, held in Birmingham on Tuesday 12th June.
Following their accreditation in 2009 securing the Impact on Society Awards for Small Companies, similar but not identical to the new award successfully won this year, they retained their reaccreditation, continuing to demonstrate positive community impact.
Wade Lyn, Cleone Foods MD, stated: “We are delighted that we have once again been judged worthy to retain our Big Tick accreditation and to have won this award for the second time.
“It is always reassuring to gain recognition from our peers, with the award reinforcing the importance of the efforts we make to achieve and promote corporate responsibility and that of our sustainable business practices which benefit the local community.”
Launched over twenty years ago, Cleone Foods produce authentic Caribbean patties under the Island Delight brand, and was the first company in the UK to produce an authentic product sold through supermarkets which used only original Jamaican recipes.
The Big Tick award is the first level of award available to entrants of the national Awards for Excellence, which recognises inspirational programmes making a positive impact on the local community, the environment or the wider society, with reaccreditations given to companies which demonstrate continuing positive impact of their award-winning initiative.
Said Wade: “Sourcing from other local independent businesses helps support both the local economy and the community, whilst providing significant cost savings and increased energy and environmental efficiencies.”
Staying true to their roots is synonymous with Cleone Foods ethos of sourcing locally and retaining family friendly policies, facilitating employment of local people with school-aged children, electing to promote from within through staff development and retention as opposed to external recruitment, and pivotal to the firm’s sustained growth.
David Darlaston, Regional Director, Business in the Community West Midlands said: “Cleone Foods is a perfect example of a small company incorporating responsible business in all they say and do.
“Wade and everyone else at Cleone continue to show great leadership and willingness to genuinely transform their business and the community in which they operate. I am delighted they have won.”
Cleone Foods will discover if they have won the title of overall category winner at Business in the Community’s national Gala Dinner with HRH The Prince of Wales on 27th June in London.
