Sutherland-based salmon farmer Loch Duart and Hull-based pelagic fish trader J. Marr (Seafoods) Ltd, have won awards for outstanding achievements in international trade.

In this, the scheme’s 43rd year, The Queen announced 139 business Awards – the second-highest total for 10 years. 85 Awards are for outstanding achievements in International Trade, 42 for Innovation and 12 for Sustainable Development. In addition, 11 outstanding individuals receive The Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion (QAEP) for their inspiring efforts to encourage UK entrepreneurship.

Loch Duart has been selling top quality fresh farmed salmon since 1999, exporting well over 50% of its produce to more than a dozen countries and creating its own prestigious brand. It has won the award for the first time for trebling its overseas sales in three years.

"This outstanding performance has been achieved by emphasising the care taken in raising the salmon, its environmental accreditations gained in collaboration with scientific and environmental organisations, and through a marketing strategy aimed at selling its fish through many of the most prestigious outlets in the UK and overseas," an awards spokesperson said.

Commenting, managing director of Loch Duart Nick Joy said: “This award for international trade is an accolade for our sales department, whose strategies, commitment, attention to detail and understanding of the needs of our customers has resulted in growth of sales in many countries. On our behalf they have built close relationships with people all over the world in many different cultures.

“The approach to each country varies but the justification is the same. The justification is the presence of discerning customers prepared to pay more for a better tasting salmon which is farmed in a way in which they trust. This trust relates directly to Loch Duart brand values. Through these brand values we have established strong relationships with both trade customers and consumers – a remarkable achievement for a primary food product.”

J. Marr (Seafoods) Ltd started trading in 1979. It is a world leader in the trading of pelagic fish species, principally harvested from the North West and Southern African waters, the South Pacific Ocean, North Atlantic, East Coast of the USA and South America. It won the Queen’s Award for International Trade once before, in 2003. The company currently has 18 overseas markets, with Africa accounting for the main bulk of total sales.

"Over the past three years overseas sales have increased by a huge 94% (this equates to a massive total of £374m). One innovative approach is that a team of accredited inspectors attend all loadings, night and day, on the high seas or on shore, to ensure that the strictest quality standards are adhered to at all times," the awards spokesperson said.

Each winning company receives an engraved crystal bowl and is now entitled to use the coveted Queen’s Award emblem on packaging and marketing materials for 5 years. During the year, winners will benefit from a visit to their premises by a representative of The Queen, and be invited to a reception at Buckingham Palace in the summer.

Commenting, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: “Queen’s Award winning companies are standard-bearers for the very best of British business. These firms embody the spirit of enterprise and innovation that is so vital to the future of Britain’s economy. Whether large or small, every one of this year’s winning organisations has achieved outstanding success in its field. I congratulate them all on their diverse and remarkable achievements."

www.fishupdate.com is published by Special Publications. Special Publications also publish FISHupdate magazine, Fish Farmer, the Fish Industry Yearbook, the Scottish Seafood Processors Federation Diary, the Fish Farmer Handbook and a range of wallplanners.

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