Altrincham couple named Great British Entrepreneurs of the Year for vegan chocolate brand

The founders of vegan chocolate brand LoveRaw, based in Altrincham, have been named Great British Entrepreneurs of the Year and Family Business Entrepreneurs of the Year for the North West region at the Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2020.

Co-founders husband and wife team Rimi and Manav Thapar started LoveRaw in 2013 with a budget of just £600, with the mantra ‘chocolate first, vegan second’.

Since then, the couple’s transparent approach has allowed the business to become an established provider of all-vegan, 100% natural chocolate with no palm oil, no dairy and “no compromise”.

Now in its eighth year, the Great British Entrepreneur Awards celebrate the inspiring stories of entrepreneurs across the UK, recognising the hard work, determination, creativity and resilience required to rise above the rest.

With the current COVID-19 restrictions preventing the regional finals taking place at a live event, Rimi and Manav won the award during a virtual ceremony, joined by all other regional finalists.

They are now in the running to be named Great British Entrepreneurs of the Year 2020 at the National Finals, with a date yet to be confirmed.

https://twitter.com/loverawofficial/status/1276447621507416064

“We are beyond thrilled to have won not only one but two GBEA awards,” said Rimi Thapar, CEO of LoveRaw.

“We didn’t think we were in with a chance, so we watched the ceremony in our pyjamas, eating vegan yoghurt out of the tub… 

“For the past seven years, we have been hamsters in a wheel going round and round, unable to take a step back and acknowledge our achievements. We couldn’t be prouder that our hard work has been recognised and we are ecstatic to have been selected as the winning entrepreneurs for the North West. Congratulations to all the winners – we look forward to the finals!” 

Manav Thapar, Managing Director at LoveRaw, added: “I cannot believe we won! Rimi and I consider our dedicated team to be part of our family, not just our family business.

“From all of us at LoveRaw HQ we’d like to thank our suppliers and advisors for allowing us to create something special.

“We cannot wait to see what the coming months bring… 2021 is going to be an exciting year for us as a company – keep your eyes peeled.”

Despite the global pandemic, this year LoveRaw launched its first vegan milk chocolate bar range back in April (beating Cadbury to it), alongside the unveiling of a major re-brand.

Their most recent product is the first to launch exclusively online. Effectively emulating a leading confectionery favourite, the delicious Cre&m Wafer Bar created by the Altrincham based company is a world first.