A GOLD experience company from St Andrews has beaten off stiff competition from other travel and tourism businesses across Scotland to win a top tourism award at a ceremony in Glasgow today.
Raphael Métayer and Carina Neubert Favero, joint founders of St Andrews Golf Experience, have won the Moffat Award for best Scottish tourism business with outstanding economic and community impact, and a £1,500 cash prize.
An outdoor experience company, called Blown Away, specialising in land and surf activities also based in St Andrews won the award for excellent customer service, and the founder of The Foodie Company Ltd in Edinburgh won the award for growth and development.
The Moffat Awards were launched in July 2007 by The Prince’s Scottish Youth Business Trust (PSYBT) thanks to generous support from The Moffat Charitable Trust.
The awards recognise outstanding young business entrepreneurs who are demonstrating best practice, excellent customer service and positive economic and community impact in the Scottish travel and tourism industry.
French born Raphael Métayer (31) founded St Andrews Golf Experience with his Brazilian partner, Carina Neubert Favero (23) in 2008.
Speaking five languages between them, they identified a gap for a multi-lingual travel operator which was able to offer golfing holidays in Scotland to French and German speaking golf enthusiasts.
In 2008 they approached PSYBT and were granted start-up funding which enabled them to develop a website and start trading.
Since then the business has expanded rapidly. As well as offering bespoke packages combining golfing holidays with English speaking lessons, they are also organising packages and holiday bookings to golfing destinations throughout the UK.
Twin brothers, Guy and Jamie McKenzie (23), founders of Blown Away, won the award for best customer service and a £1,000 cash prize.
Based in West Sands, Blown Away specialise in outdoor adventure beach and surf days including land yachting, beach kayaking, and other beach-fun activities.
The brothers established the business in 2007 thanks to a business loan from PSYBT which helped to fund the purchase of an initial fleet of Sirocco Sprint Land Yachts.
Since then, the business has grown significantly thanks to the growing popularity of their activities and packages for corporate away days. Next month, Blown Away will be adding twin hull wave hopping powerboats or ‘Zapcats’ to its extreme sports repertoire.
Winner of the Moffat Award for personal growth and development, and a £1,000 cash prize was Peter McLean.
McLean started selling luxury foodie boxes from his bedroom in November 2007.
With the help of PSYBT start-up and growth funding he now employs ten people between his hamper business and his deli café in Edinburgh, and has a turnover of £400,000.
Current expansion plans under discussion include the opening of a second café in Edinburgh and the opening of an outside catering arm in Glasgow.
The Scottish tourism industry is estimated to be valued in excess of £4billion and employs in the region of 200,000 people.
Last year, PSYBT supported over 45 tourism businesses offering goods and services that enhance the community and overall visitor experience of Scotland.
Congratulating the winners, PSYBT chief executive, Mark Strudwick, said: “We are delighted to recognise the hard work of these young entrepreneurs for their outstanding contribution to the Scottish tourism industry and deeply appreciative to The Moffat Charitable Trust for their generosity in supporting this award programme.”
Speaking on behalf of The Moffat Charitable Trust, Mr Jamie Moffat said: “Today’s winners have imagination, ambition, and drive and are a credit to the tourism industry in Scotland.”
Ends
Issued on behalf of PSYBT by Jen Nash, Panache Communications tel. 07971 466 220 Email jen@panachecommunications.co.uk. For more information please contact Margaret Gibson or Louise Moore on Tel no. 0141 248 4999 or visit the PSYBT website at www.psybt.org.uk.
Notes to editors:
Photography: High Resolution free photography of the winners is available from Malcolm Cochrane Photography tel. 07971 835 065 e. mail@malcolmcochrane.co.uk or by contacting Jen Nash t. 07971 466 220
Blown Away contact 07784121125 www.blownawaylandyachts.co.uk
The Foodie Company contact Peter McLean on 0131 333 5030 or 07876 561 843 or visit www.foodieboxes.com
St Andrews Golf Experience contact Raphael Metayer on t. 01334 840453 or visit www.standrewsgolfexperience.com
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Contact: Jen Nash
Phone: 07971 466 220
Email: jen@panachecommunications.co.uk
Website: http://www.panachecommunications.co.uk
