notonthehighstreet.com’s Holly Tucker MBE named Keystone Law Golden Gun at 2013 Young Guns

Holly Tucker MBE, the co-founder of online marketplace notonthehighstreet.com has been crowned the Keystone Law Golden Gun at the 2013 Young Guns awards.

The title for an outstanding member of the Young Guns alumni – entrepreneurs previously listed in the list of the UK’s most exciting business owners aged 35 or under – went to 2008 alumnus Tucker following an outstanding year in which she was honoured by the Queen with an MBE.

She succeeds Azibo Group’s Mayank Patel OBE, who received the award last year as well as 2011 winner Mobile Interactive Group founder Barry Houlihan, who subsequently sold his £100m-plus turnover company.

Tucker’s business, which she set up with Sophie Cornish in 2005 as a way for independent retailers to sell their wares globally, has grown to employ more than 140 people and turned over £43.5m in 2012.

The now 36-year-old entrepreneur was chosen from an alumni boasting the founders of Innocent and Nails Inc., Moshi Monsters creator Michael Acton Smith, goal-line technology innovation firm Hawk-Eye, and sports nutrition brand Maximuscle.

On receiving the award at the haysmacintyre and Keystone Law-sponsored Young Guns 2013 event at London’s Kensington Roof Gardens, Tucker expressed her delight: “Young Guns has always been close to my heart,” she said.

“They have a track record of unearthing the best up and coming talent so it was a real honour to receive the Keystone Law Golden Gun (although does that technically make me an Old Gun?).”

“Only five years have passed since I received the Young Gun award but it feels like an eternity for my business, notonthehighstreet.com.” Already, the company has exceeded 2012’s £43.5m turnover with three months of the financial year remaining and now has 3,800 small businesses utilising its platform.

“Being awarded an MBE in June for ‘services to small businesses and enterprise’ really brought home how important the work we do is,” continued Tucker, “and how we are truly shining a light on the backbone of the economy, the SMEs. I feel very excited about the future for notonthehighstreet.com. Watch this space!”

Founder of Keystone Law James Knight, said of Golden Gun winner: “As there are now over 400 Young Guns alumni, it would be fair to say we had plenty of potential winners to choose from when selecting this year’s Golden Gun. But at the same time Holly Tucker was something of a stand-out candidate for the title.

“In seven short years she has made notonthehighstreet.com into a phenomenal business, helping thousands of small innovative suppliers along the way. Award in hand, you only had to listen to her captivating address from the podium to know for sure that Holly may have come a long way but really she’s only just started.”