Winning the overall Oxfordshire Business of the Year Award for 2006 has had a major impact on the staff morale of British Bakels in Oxfordshire and even abroad.

Paul Morrow, managing director of the Bicester-based bakery ingredients firm, has been delighted with the impact the win has had on the workforce and claims it has encouraged the company to strive for even greater excellence.

He said: "The bar has been raised and we have to live up to that now."

News of the company's success spread far and wide as it was included in the Holland-based Bakels Group magazine which has a 25,0000 circulation globally.

Mr Morrow added: "We spread the message around the world. Winning this award has really justified moving into Oxfordshire 11 years ago.

"Being Oxfordshire Business of the Year is recognition of the success we have had here."

When the firm first came to Bicester in 1995 it had a turnover of £9m and employed 54 people.

Now its turnover has grown to £25m and it employs 147 people.

The company also won the Innovation category in recognition of its low glycaemic index bread which it developed with Oxford Brookes University and is now its best selling product.