A Ruddington businesswoman has just been named as one of the UK’s most inspirational and dynamic female entrepreneurs.
Alex Preston (pictured top), who founded The Bottle Top in our village with husband Anthony in May 2019, is being profiled among one hundred ‘f:Entrepreneurs’ from across the country, as part of Small Business Britain‘s ‘#ialso100′ campaign. This celebrates the multi-achievements of women running businesses in the UK today. Her shop, on Ruddington’s High Street, is a sustainable general store and tap room which showcases a number of small and local producers from craft beer to zero waste refills, sells plastic-free fruit and veg, and lots more besides.
The f:Entrepreneur ‘#ialso100’ line-up particularly sets out to showcase trailblazing female founders who lead businesses alongside a roster of other responsibilities, such as volunteering, mentoring and community support. In Alex’s case, this was also for her part in brewing with Solstice Brewery, her volunteer work on The Ruddington Village Centre Partnership (RVCP), mentor support for small businesses and ‘Young Entrepreneurs’ – both though the Ruddington Village Market initiative. Not only that, additionally Alex has worked alone on setting up ‘Plastic Free Ruddington’, organising community litter picks and helping other businesses reduce their carbon footprint.
“It’s a huge honour to be included in this years #ialso alongside so many inspiring and talented women” says Alex. “The news came at exactly the right time while isolating with COVID over the busy Christmas period, and gave me a huge boost. I am hugely passionate about what I do at The Bottle Top and take great pride in being able to support others in transitioning into entrepreneurship, and doing so with the least amount of environmental impact as possible.”
She adds: “I am very much excited by what the future may bring and hope that being named in this year’s list will mean I can reach further afield with my work and share the lessons I’ve learned with others. Being a female in business, particularly in the beer industry, can be challenging. It’s great to be recognised for that, and I’m in great company, too!”
Both f:Entrepreneur and Small Business Britain were founded by Michelle Ovens CBE, who is also the director of Small Business Saturday UK. She reveals the growing f:Entrepreneur campaign – now in its fifth year – attracted a record number of applications for the 2022 ‘#ialso100’ line-up.
“Congratulations to Alex, and all of the brilliant female entrepreneurs featured in this year’s #ialso100,” says Michelle. “It is so vital that we recognize and celebrate the phenomenal contribution that women running businesses are making across the UK, and the far-reaching, positive impact they are having, not just on the economy, but on wider communities too. The last few years have been hugely challenging for small businesses, yet despite this female entrepreneurship continues to grow and flourish in the UK, and is very much at the heart of the UK’s recovery.”
It’s not the first time Ruddington businesswomen have been listed as ‘f:Entrepreneurs’. In 2019 Split Screen Coffee Company owner Jen Walker was in the ‘#ialso100’. Then, in 2020, RVCP founder member and former Black Cat Café owner Julie Smith (pictured below) also achieved national recognition.
Like Jen and Julie, Alex has been invited to London with the 99 others to celebrate her achievements in the House of Lords. The exclusive f:Entrepreneur ‘#ialso100’ reception will be held there on Monday 7th March 2022.
Standby for a further photo after the event!
UPDATE 8th March 2022:
Here’s Alex Preston attending the event at the Houses of Parliament in London yesterday.
Well done, Alex!
