Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Handforth beauty company

Handforth-based hair and beauty company, Beauty Works, has been honoured with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the category of International Trade.

It is just one of 205 organisations nationally to be recognised with a prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise for their contribution to International Trade, Innovation, Sustainable Development and Promoting Opportunity (through Social Mobility).

Employing 60 people, Beauty Works was launched in July 2010 by female entrepreneur, Penelope Cheshire (pictured).  Through her leadership, she has guided the organisation to becoming one of the world’s most successful and exciting beauty brands, selling hair extensions to more than 4000 professional salons and consumers in more than 180 countries.  Penelope explained:

We are delighted to share such an achievement with the giants of British industry and thrilled to have won this award.

I started this business in a one-bedroom flat in Liverpool just over ten years ago, spotting a ‘gap in the market’ for high quality hair extensions and products.  Today, we are global leaders.  It’s incredible just how far we have come and is testament to the skills and expertise of Beauty Works’ hard-working employees.  I would like to thank all staff members; it’s a wonderful accomplishment for all the team!”

Penelope has successfully established a multi-million-pound global concern and, with distributors in the US, Europe and Dubai, is on target to become the leading powerhouse in the hair and beauty space.  Her products have featured in Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Grazia Magazine and Glamour, and been awarded at The Hair Awards every year since 2013.  They have been worn by Nicole Scherzinger, Olivia Palermo, Bella Hadid and Dame Joan Collins.

The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, now in its 55^th year, is the most influential business award in the UK and celebrates the success of exciting and innovative businesses that are leading the way with pioneering products or services, delivering impressive social mobility programmes or showing their commitment to excellent sustainable development practices. 

Applications for Queen’s Awards for Enterprise 2022 open on the 1st May 2021.