Alara Wholefoods

“If businesses don’t go green the planet is doomed,” says Alex Smith the morning after the night before. He’s not hungover following his win at the FGBAs though. In fact, he cycled home – in his tux – sober.

The founder and managing director of specialist muesli manufacturer Alara lives and breathes the green ethos that got him the gong, and is talking about a society 200 years from now where humankind is a remnant of what it is now.

Unlike those who are starting with green initiatives now, Smith has been something of a visionary. “I suppose I’ve been, to some degree, green for the last 30 years,” he says.

After starting out in a squat and living without money, Smith’s Alara – the world’s first certified organic cereal company – now boasts a healthy £4.2m turnover, has grown profits by 40% and employs more than 50 people.

“As climate change has moved up the agenda, our commitment to doing our part has increased as well,” he says.

Alara now has a full-time sustainable development manager, Joanna Southernwood, and has spent around £20,000 building up its permaculture garden to the rear of its factory, complete with around 60 trees, wormeries, compost for waste and bee hives.

Committed to its electricity from 100% renewable sources and an approach to packaging that has cut waste to landfill by 80%, it’s not difficult to see why Alara claimed this award.

Company stats Company: Alara Wholefoods Founded: 1984 Founder: Alex Smith Turnover 2006: £4.1m Turnover 2007: £4.2m Web:www.alara.co.uk