Family-run Harrogate firm honoured with a King’s Award for Enterprise after growing business during tough times

Bettys & Taylors of Harrogate is delighted to receive the King’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade.

Garry Nield, International Director at Taylors, said: “We are honoured to have been recognised with this prestigious award, especially in the year of The King’s Coronation.

"Over the last six years the International Team at Taylors has worked extremely hard and showed unwavering commitment to share our Yorkshire passion for top quality tea and coffee with the world, building genuine, lasting relationships along the way.”

Formerly The Queen’s Award for Enterprise, the award has been renamed following the Accession of King Charles III.

Best known for Yorkshire Tea and Taylors Coffee, as well as its Bettys Café Tea Rooms, the independent family-run business is one of four companies in the Yorkshire and Humber region to receive the accolade – one of the UK’s most prestigious business awards – for its outstanding growth in overseas markets in the last six years.

In 2017, Taylors of Harrogate was represented in 28 countries.

Today the range is sold in 49 markets, including USA, Australia, Canada, China and Italy.

Central to the team’s strategy has been working with a nominated distributor in each country with a view to building a long-term partner with shared values and visions for the business’s tea and coffee brands.

Garry Nield said: “We have overcome challenges such as delivering the adaptation of our packaging in advance of Brexit, not to mention the difficulties presented by the Covid-19 pandemic.

"The supplier and customer relationships we’ve developed around the world were resilient enough to withstand these obstacles, and it is testament to these deep connections and shared values, that we were able to maintain these partnerships and grow.”

Bettys & Taylors’ International team has trebled in size and the entire speciality tea range has been redesigned with 14 new products added to meet a range of consumer needs and tastes across new markets.

The business has also invested in increased production and additional equipment at its manufacturing facility in Harrogate.