New Year Honours: Hough, Jones and Laila’s Fine Food boss celebrate

ROBERT Hough, chair of Liverpool’s local enterprise partnership (LEP), was one of a number of North West business figures recognised in the New Year Honours.

A lawyer by trade, Mr Hough has received a CBE for services to business in the region.

Lawrence Jones, founder of the Manchester data centre business UKFast, has been awarded an MBE for services to the digital economy, and Christoper Brinsmead, the former Alderley Park-based chairman of AstraZeneca, has received a CBE for services to the life sciences industry.

Tim Webber, chairman of Colne-based building group Barnfield Construction, has received an MBE for services to Business and the community in Lancashire, and Neil Baldwin also received the honour for services to the nuclear industry, particularly civil nuclear engineering and decommissioning.

Jim Davies, co-founder of the law firm DWF, was awarded an OBE for services to charity and the community in Merseyside.

Mr Hough was a close adviser to Peel Holdings’ John Whittaker for many years, and was deputy chairman of the group until 2009 when he became chairman of the now defunct North West Regional Development Agency.

He said: “I am delighted by the award of this honour. My whole career has been spent in the North West during which time I have been privileged to contribute to many great projects with talented and committed colleagues. The last three years as chair of the Liverpool City Region LEP has been particularly stimulating and I look forward to continuing the fantastic work we are doing across the city region in 2015.”

On his blog Mr Jones said: “As nice as it is being recognised like this, you don’t get an award like this because of one person. I am the extension of an amazing organisation, so this is an award for everybody in UKFast. That’s how I see it. And if anyone thought there was any rest coming for me now, think again, because this has just re-motivated me, and it’s exactly what I needed at this time in my life. It’s time to go again!”

Lancashire businesswoman Laila Remtulla, founder of Bispham-based Laila’s Fine Foods, also received an MBE.

Tanzanian- born Laila moved to England in 1976 with husband Nazir and Laila Remtullastarted the company over 28 years ago by approaching her local delicatessen and persuading them to buy her samosas and onion bhajis.

Today her company  produces around 70,000 meals a day and employs more than 300 people, including Mrs Remtulla’s three daughters Zera, Rishma and Natasha.

She said: “I am truly honoured and humbled by this accolade, which would not have been possible without my husband, Nazir and my daughters Zera, Rishma and Natasha and the many wonderful colleagues I have worked with throughout the years of building Laila’s Fine Foods Limited.

“This country is full of opportunity and I am so grateful to be part of this great nation. It just goes to show that if you put a lot in, you get a lot out. To be recognised in this industry is heart-warming and to know that cooking food the way you would want your family to eat it, has brought me here, is amazing. I am so happy and delighted.”

There was also an honour for former broadcaster turned media executive Rob McLoughlin, as the former Granada World in Action investigator received an OBE for services to broadcasting in the North West.

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