Artisan Pizza Company scoops top €5,000 prize

Artisan Pizza Company scoops top €5,000 prize

By William O'Connor

THE winner of the Local Enterprise Office South Dublin’s Enterprise Awards 2020 was announced in The Louis Fitzgerald Hotel.

Cliona Swan and her husband Gianpiero De Vallier, an Italian master-baker, were named as overall winners and took home the top prize for their business ‘The Artisan Pizza Company’ which produces fresh, handmade pizza bases.

SDCC 2020 Local Enterprise Awards 98 of 110 Photo Ben Ryan compressor

Mayor Vicki Casserly, presents Cliona and Ginapiero De Vallier from ‘The Artisan Pizza Company’ with the top prize at the Local Enterprise Office South Dublin’s Enterprise Awards

 The coveted prize was presented to Cliona and Ginapiero at a special awards ceremony by television presenter and entrepreneur Kathryn Thomas.

The award includes €5,000 to invest in their business and a custom-made wooden trophy.

In addition, the couple will represent South Dublin at the Local Enterprise Awards National Finals, taking place in Dublin in May.

 The awards took place as part of Local Enterprise Week which ran all of last week and brought

together businesses and entrepreneurs from across South Dublin to celebrate their innovation and ambition.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Tom Rooney, Head of Enterprise at the Local Enterprise Office in South Dublin, said: “We are celebrating 22 years of the Local and National Enterprise Awards and in that time, we have had the privilege to meet with and support some really fantastic individuals and teams setting up innovative new businesses in South Dublin. The backbone of business in Ireland is small and micro enterprise businesses, and LEO South Dublin is here to support their growth and development with financial grant support, training, mentoring and leadership development.

 “I would like to extend my congratulations to the winners and finalists. We are grateful for your contribution to strengthening the local economy in South Dublin, for providing new job opportunities, and for attracting new businesses to the area.”

Finalists and 2020 Special Awards – The Artizan Pizza Company beat off three other finalists including – Allegro Acoustics, which provides a specialist service in all aspects of acoustics, noise and vibration consultancy and design; JustFetchIt, which offers a business delivery application that allows any business to outsource all their deliveries; and Hikari, a group of dedicated business and technology professionals who provide solutions that allow organisations to analyse business data.

 Five businesses and entrepreneurs were honoured with special awards at the ceremony, including: Mindi Keane from Mama Nagi, who won the Special Merit for Achievements as a Sole Entrepreneur. Mama Nagi produces 100 per cent vegan, wheat-free, gluten-free and free from sugar chilled chilli pastes and cook-in sauces.

SchooVR, who are pioneering a new, immersive way to learn by creating curriculum-aligned virtual reality learning experiences that bring lessons to life, won the One to Watch Award.

Refill Ireland, an environmental project leading the way to make Ireland a tap water refilling country once again, won the Green Award. Team Human, a product design and innovation consultancy, offering services to start-ups, SMEs and large companies who develop products or medical devices, won the Innovation Award.  Twigs, a specialist afterschool care service for children with a diagnosis of ASD and/or additional needs, won the Community Award.

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