Lancashire based Oscar Pet Foods received their trophy at a glittering Awards luncheon held at London’s Sheraton Park Lane Hotel.

The Awards, sponsored by Express Newspapers and HSBC Bank, seek out the top performing franchisors in the UK, rewarding individual excellence and highlighting the increasing influence of a market sector now worth £12.4 billion a year. 

The theme for this year’s Awards was ‘now and then, five years on’, with franchisors having to demonstrate the developments they have brought to their businesses in the past five years.

Five years ago, no one would have believed that Oscar Pet Foods, as one of the most successful pet food delivery suppliers in the UK, could be quite so different. This family business which has always focused on quality and service has grown from strength to strength.

Following a management buy-out Oscar improved almost beyond recognition in the competitive pet food arena. A large part of Oscar’s success is due to their new commitment to establishing a strong partnership with the franchisees, even embarking on a UK tour where the Directors met each and every franchisee! Their opinions are really important to the franchisor, so much so, that they hold regular meetings at their Preston head office to swap ideas and consult on strategy.

Oscar's success has been supported by a new marketing initiative and a complete re-branding of the company. With new products, professional packaging, an innovative new van design and a re-launched uniform they set the scene for growth. 

PR has played a key part too as Oscar went from very little publicity to receiving over 1,000 pieces of national and regional press coverage by taking advantage of the great pet stories the franchisees encounter.

Director General of the bfa, Brian Smart, said: “This year’s competition was extremely difficult to judge, with high quality contributions from many of the entrants.

“Oscar Pet Foods stood out amongst the short-listed companies and deserves recognition for their outstanding achievements. They have continually developed their business model to support their network of franchisees, ensuring they maximise growth whilst building a sustainable and profitable business.”

Express Newspapers’ Classified Advertising Director, Justin Mafham, added his praise of the company’s achievement: “Oscar Pet Foods have shown just how adaptable a good franchise operation can be and we look forward to sharing their success story with our readers.”

Head of Franchising for HSBC, Cathryn Hayes, added: “Oscar Pet Food has consistently developed products and services to meet new customers’ needs.”

“We at HSBC are committed to delivering the same level of service to our customers in franchising – a growing sector we have been supporting for more than 20 years.”