Pembrokeshire businesses are among those named by Chambers Wales South East, South West and Mid as finalists for the highly anticipated Wales Business Awards 2022.

Now in their 19th year, the awards provide SME businesses across the country with the opportunity to compete for Wales’ most prestigious accolades. This year, over 180 entries were received from businesses across Wales from all sizes sectors, all vying for a top place.

An impressive 34 companies have been named as finalists across 10 categories such as Digital Business of the Year, Green Business of the Year, Workplace Wellbeing and Customer Commitment and Excellence.

Pembrokeshire-based Seren has been named as a finalist for the Workplace Wellbeing Award; while one of the businesses in their collection, The Grove of Narberth, has also bagged a top spot as a finalist in the Green Business of the Year category.

Wales’ Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething, recently visited The Grove (pictured above), where at the start of 2022 flexible working practices were introduced, meaning that all staff can work to a four-day-a-week rota with no adjustment to salary, whilst being paid for any extra shifts.

Those staff who wished to remain on a five-day week, also had the option to do so. It follows the introduction of a four-day week for chefs at the hotel in 2016.

The business has also introduced a profit sharing scheme where members of staff will share in the ongoing success of the business, alongside other staff package improvements including long service holiday rewards.

Neil Kedward, Managing Director of Seren, said: “We’re delighted to have made this progressive and important change for the individuals across our businesses Grove of Narberth, Coast Restaurant in Saundersfoot, and Beach House Restaurant in Oxwich.

“We are already seeing the impact of this change in helping our teams find real balance in their lives, having more quality time with family and friends, and feeling energised and more focused on achieving their goals at work.

“We have invested significantly over the years to get the product right in each venue, and so now we are well placed to invest much more in our people.”

After submitting their initial entries, shortlisted businesses went through a rigorous interview process to then be named as finalists for the Wales Business Awards 2022.

Paul Slevin, President of Chambers Wales South East, South West and Mid, said: “Our categories this year allow for the representation and celebration of so many different companies, who have been doing great things, not just for their customers, but for their staff, the environment, and the Welsh economy.

“Each business has come through a rigorous process to get to this position, and so we’re confident that these finalists really do represent the cream of the crop when it comes to what Wales has to offer.”

This year, Avast Business will be supporting the Wales Business Awards as headline sponsor.

Also supporting the awards are sponsors: University of South Wales, Welsh Government, NPTC Group of Colleges, CGI, Atradius, Euroclad Group, Aspen Waite, Blake Morgan and Jardine Norton.

Winners of each category will be announced at the awards ceremony on June 9 at St Fagans National Museum of History, with TV broadcaster Gethin Jones returning as host.