Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2021

WOW! What a year 2021 was for TEA BY THE SEA. In the Spring of this year we entered The Great British Entrepreneur Awards because quite frankly I was super impressed with their mission, their award categories and with their impressive list of previous winners. So, we thought we would give it a go!

When I received the email to say that we had been shortlisted for the Food and Drink category I actually stopped breathing for a moment! I read and re-read the email before bursting into tears of joy. After phoning my husband and family I then had another email to say we had been shortlisted for the Well-being category too! It was then that I let out a squeal that was so high pitched I’m sure that only cats and dogs in a 10 mile radius could hear.

It took a good 2 weeks for this news to really sink in. I had done it. Someone had recognised all of the hard work and not just anyone but a professional body. After years of feeling unappreciated in previous employment this felt good. Really good. 

The awards night itself was amazing. Dressed to impress, my husband and I walked into The Grosvenor Hotel, London through a sea of entrepreneurs, glamorous dresses, clinking glasses and a room full of candle adorned tables. It really was magical. The organisers had pulled out all the stops with guest speakers such as John Caudwell (Phones4U) and the youngest Dragon ever to appear on Dragon’s Den; Steven Bartlett. Both speeches certainly didn’t disappoint and were very much motivational. To hear how both of them had gone through many struggles to get where they are today was inspirational and to hear the passion for what they do oozing from them as they spoke was a pleasure to see. 
Then came the awards announcements. Sadly, in both of the categories we didn’t win. Just as well, considering when they were announcing the winner of the Well-being category I was in the loo! Oops! If it wasn’t for a kind lady at our table rushing in to find me I would have missed the whole thing!

To be nominated in the first place was HUGE for me, to see my business on a big screen at such a large event was so exciting and then to learn that 4000 people had applied and only 660 shortlisted? Mind blowing.

Thank you GBEA. What you do to recognise and support British business is wonderful and what you have done for me and my confidence in business I will be forever grateful.

xx