Two Yorkshire firms make top 10 shortlists for £1m Pitch to Rich

TWO YORKSHIRE firms have reached the national semi-finals to win a funding boost from Virgin media mogul Richard Branson.

Approved Food, based in Sheffield, specialises in selling short-dated surplus supermarket stock and products that are nearing or past the best before date.

Since it was founded seven years ago the business has saved in excess of 36 million items from going to landfill.

At the time of writing, Approved Food was at the top of the leaderboard for the growing businesses category.

Founder Dan Cluderay said: “I am just overwhelmed by the incredible support that we have received to date throughout this process, and incredibly excited to be one step closer to the opportunity to present my business model to Sir Richard Branson and his team for feedback and advice.

“Thank you to everyone who votes for us in this next stage to make this dream a reality.”

Wetherby-based outdoor and camping sleepwear firm SLPY has also been shortlisted in the start-up category out of 979 buisinesses, after launching their first product, at the Boardmasters Festival in Cornwall in 2014.

Co-founders Martin and Lisa Brailsford said: “We’re about having fun outdoors. So we make products that help people enjoy their outdoors lifestyle with a smile and a wink. The things we make are quirky and innovative, but equally functional.”

After 2,500 pitches submitted since March, with over 550,000 votes, the semi-finalists were whittled down from 250 entries.

The winners in each category will be decided on 26 June, with a panel of judges including Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Media business managing director Peter Kelly, Jon Oringer, Jo Malone, Justine Roberts and David Gandy.

The winners will each win a slice of the £1m prize fund up for grabs.