Fylde coast entrepreneur nominated for national awards

David Davies, Founder of Sovereign Beverage Company, who was born and lives in Lytham, went to Arnold School, played rugby at Fylde, is one of the shortlisted business leaders from across the nation, selected out of 5,300 entrants

Founded in 2008 and based in Blackburn, Sovereign Beverage Company is an exporter of premium beverages, working with UK-based suppliers to give them a global presence, managing their export operations for them and securing listings with customers overseas.

The Great British Entrepreneur Awards, in partnership with Starling Bank, acknowledges and champions the hard work and uplifting stories of business owners across the UK, with an emphasis on their journey and resilience over financial achievements.

Twelve awards will be given out per region for categories including Disruptor of the Year, Entrepreneur for Good Award, and the Great British Entrepreneur of the Year. Notable winners from previous years include Social Chain founder Steven Bartlett, who went on to become the youngest ever investor on BBC’s Dragon’s Den.

David said of the accolade: “Given the calibre of entrepreneurs entering the GBEAs, and looking at my fellow finalists, I am absolutely blown away.

"This is a fantastic acknowledgement that everything we are doing, the dream we are striving for, it's all in the right direction. I’m also thrilled to recognise the team behind Sovereign - their hard work and efforts are what have propelled us to where we are today; a growing company with a fantastic record and an even more fantastic future.”

This year is the 10th anniversary of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards and has seen the highest number of entrants. The alumni has collectively generated over £30bn in revenue and employed more than 450,000 people.

Founder of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, Francesca James, said the quality of this year’s entrants exemplified the strength of entrepreneurship across the UK.

She said: “The quality of applications is consistently excellent year on year, but we have been especially blown away by the innovation, drive and determination demonstrated this year.

“This year’s finalists should be so proud of what they’ve already achieved both in business and in being shortlisted for an award - we’re looking forward to seeing everyone at the Finals and unveiling the winners!”