PAST WINNER INTERVIEW Direct Meats
How did you find the application process?
What made Direct Meats Ltd apply for a Queen’s Award? We believed the award would give greater credibility to the business as a brand, thereby helping to build our profile on a global stage. What research did you do about the awards/ application process? We looked at previous winners, studied the questions that were asked and re-read everything several times. We also spoke with Kestral (a company that has won the award several times) who were able to provide some great advice.
Aside from the fact two people cannot log-on at the same time, we found the online portal easy to navigate. That being said, we made the mistake of using too many words only to discover the portal auto deletes! To get around this, we did our editing in a Word document then transferred it over to the online portal afterwards. Did you learn anything about your own company during the process? The process makes you take a deep look at all you do; we are pleasantly surprised to realise how proud all the various teams are, and we are nothing without our team. The biggest discovery was all the personal journeys various team members have been on.
AWARD CATEGORY: International Trade SIZE OF COMPANY: SME (around 120 full-time staff ) WHERE BASED: Colchester, Essex TYPE OF BUSINESS: Wholesale of meat and meat products
What planning did you do beforehand?
We thought deeply about every question then ensured we had full and complete answers for each one. For example, when describing our overall growth plans, we described overall plans with team, suppliers, products as well as new markets.
Did you engage other teammembers?
Yes, as above. Some of the details required input from various teams.
PROFILE: Nicola Chandler JOB TITLE: Sales Director
Company Background Direct Meats was founded in Chappel, Essex in 1995 as an innovative butcher providing a bespoke service - that of a ‘larder chef’ supplier - serving some of the finest restaurants, hotels and eateries in the UK. A quarter of a century later, the firm is still a family-run business, employing 120 full time staff, delivering an average of 2,500 orders per week and exporting to 23 countries around the world.
www. queensawardsmagazine .com
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