A YOUNG Kendal business has scooped the prestigious accolade of UK business of the year.

Kendal Nutricare, which has been up and running for less than two years, won the title at the Federation of Small Businesses and Worldpay UK Business Awards 2017.

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The business also won the ‘Exporter of the Year’ award, at the London-based awards ceremony which was compered by the first ‘Apprentice’ winner, Tim Campbell MBE.

Kendal Nutricare’s CEO, Ross McMahon, said that he could have ‘never predicted’ that the business would receive the award in such a short time.

“We are delighted to win both this award, and the FSB and Worldpay UK Business Awards’ award for Export,” he said. “We have worked incredibly hard to get to where we are and there has never been a moment’s breathing time.”

Its success comes just as its Kendamil infant formula – with a brand new palm-oil free recipe – is due to appear on the shelves of 150 Morrisons supermarkets on June 5.

Kendamil will also be on sale in ASDA and Sainsbury’s, making it available nationwide for the first time.

On taking over the former H J Heinz factory in Kendal in June 2015, Kendal Nutricare saved 88 jobs.

It reversed a five-year trend of redundancies and has taken the staff numbers to 118.

One year ago, the business signed a £6million deal to sell Kendamil in China and has since entered other overseas markets in Africa, South East Asia and the Middle East.

Kendamil is now stocked in more than 8,000 mother and baby stores in China, making Kendal Nutricare one of Britain’s most successful exporters to China.

A brand new Kendamil Organic formula will be launched at the Children Baby Maternity Industry Expo in Shanghai, in July.

Its launch will be accompanied by Kendamil cereals, packed in 300g tins for the first time, and new smoothie and meal replacement shake ‘Kendalife’.

“We now look forward to making our listings in Morrisons and ASDA a huge success, as well as launching our brand new products and attracting even more buyers,” said Mr McMahon.