AN INDIAN cookery school based in Salisbury won the prized Family Business of the Year Award at the FSB South West small business awards.

Pure Punjabi, in Downton, won the award at the south west area finals of the FSB ‘Celebrating Small Business Awards 2020’, which took place at the Somerset County Cricket Ground on Wednesday, February 19.

Surinder Hothi-Bellamy, who runs Pure Punjabi, said she was thrilled to be taking the award back to her three children in the family business - Safia Hothi-Bellamy, Samir and Aaron Bellamy

Surinder said: “We are delighted to win this award as the whole reason we created this business was for the family.

“My real purpose in starting the company was so that if my three children ever needed to take time out of work to look after their children they would be able to do so and always have a good business to go back to.”

Other winners at the awards came in a range of categories, which included everything from the producer of sleeping bags for babies to a biscuit manufacturer and a cats’ cafe.

Wiltshire had four other nominees on the shortlist at the event, including Blue Bee Solutions and Saffron Indian Takeaway - both based in Salisbury - as well as Hartifull (Swindon), and Key Property Associates Ltd (Chippenham).

Swindon’s Excalibur Communications won the all-new Wellbeing Award for their enthusiastic commitment to support their staff.

Excalibur’s Henrietta Boucher said she was extremely grateful to the FSB for their trophy as it recognised the company was totally committed to improving wellbeing for their employees.

“I think it is great to win this award,” she said.

“So much is being said about wellness in the workplace at the moment and the managers and staff at Excalibur have worked really hard to achieve an ambition of make it an even better place to work.”

The South West final is one of 12 regional finals place across the UK which are taking place until March.

For more details go to fsbawards.co.uk