Orkney Fishermen’s Society win prestigious national award

Orkney Fishermen’s Society have been named winners of the Grichan Partnership Sustainable Business Award.

The ceremony took place at the 2016 Lloyds Bank National Business Awards gala dinner ceremony, held at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane, London.

This award recognises the effectiveness of a sustainable approach and how it has improved commercial performance, competitiveness, customer perception, staff engagement, and prospects for continued financial strength.

Established in 1953, the Orkney Fisherman’s Society is internationally recognised as being among the leaders in crab processing, producing a range of products for retail, wholesale and export markets.

Stewart Crichton, managing director of Orkney Fisherman’s Society said: “Entering these awards are good because it makes you look at your business, reflect on how well it’s doing and benchmark yourself against other competitors. Orkney’s a great place to do business, people are used to working hard and working for themselves and seeing results.”

Richard Hewitt, co-founder of The Grichan Partnership, said: “The Orkney Fishermen’s Society made a strong impression on all members of the judging panel. This isn’t an easy thing to do when you are competing against a shortlist of talented finalists.The society stood out from the crowd as they have taken a challenging industry, applied excellent business strategies including stakeholder engagement, and woven in the creative use of technology to create a North Sea success story in the face of adversity. We’re delighted that they have won this award, and offer our congratulations.”

The judges felt this was a superbly rounded and inclusive approach to social and environmental management.

They commented:“The co-operative does well to look after the local fishing community, the sea bed, the marine environment and of course, Orkney Crab.”

Over 1200 business leaders, entrepreneurs, politicians and media representatives gathered at the Grosvenor House Hotel for the 15th annual National Business Awards, and together celebrated the Best of British Ambition.

The awards were presented by BBC Breakfasts Louise Minchin and welcomed Lord William Hague as headline speaker.