Founded by husband and wife team Kerry and Derek Ellway, Sands opened its first franchise in November 2005 and has seen rapid growth with a new store coming on line each month in the UK and Ireland. Kerry comments: "Everyone at Sands was absolutely delighted to have been shortlisted for this award and, although we all felt confident in what has been achieved at Sands, it was a wonderful surprise to win on the day. It is a fantastic achievement for our company to have been recognised in this way and it reflects not only the hard work and sacrifices made by the Sands Franchising team but also that of all of our franchisees."

Judges commented: "So many people open new shops that this is always a competitive category. Sands Franchising stood out from the crowd this year because of the sheer speed and extent of the business's growth, turning over more than half a million pounds and opening one franchise per month in its first year. This is an achievement for any business, particularly impressive for such a young one, and this success has been achieved with some innovative marketing activities as well as community involvement, featuring regular charity days.