Quirky Campers founders triumph at 2023 Great British Entrepreneur Awards

Published by

Peter Davison

David Ffrench

The founders of Bristol-based campervan hire service Quirky Campers have been named Family Business Entrepreneurs of the Year for the South West region at The Allica Bank Great British Entrepreneur Awards.

The awards - whose previous winners include BrewDog founder James Watt and which were dubbed 'The Grammys of Entrepreneurship' by Dragons' Den investor Steven Bartlett - were held on November 20.

Quirky Campers was launched by husband-and-wife team, Lindsay Berresford and David Ffrench in 2010, starting with renting out their own campervan, Bella, while they were travelling in Kenya.

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The family-owned business acts as an agent for a collection of friendly and like-minded campervan owners, each with a vehicle that they have lovingly created and want to share with the world.

The judges said they were "highly impressed with Quirky Campers, recognising their innovative approach to community building and how they successfully integrated it into the broader vertical.

"It’s a testament to Lindsay, David, and Quirky Campers’ commitment to fostering a strong and interconnected community within their business.”

Francesca James, founder of The Allica Bank Great British Entrepreneur Awards, said:n“I am thrilled to witness the extraordinary achievements of this year's winners.

"Their success stories are a testament to the dynamic and innovative spirit that thrives within UK entrepreneurship. These inspiring entrepreneurs embody the creativity, determination, and passion that are at the heart of our nation's business success.

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"Their accomplishments not only celebrate their own journeys but also light the way for future generations of innovators and business leaders."

Richard Davies, CEO of Allica Bank, said: “It has been a real honour to sponsor this year’s GBEA awards. Hearing the inspiring stories from this year’s winners really brings to life the important contribution British entrepreneurs make to our economy.

"At Allica, we couldn’t be more excited to see such a talented group of individuals making their mark in the business world and we'll be keeping a close eye on what they do next.”

Peter Davison

Peter Davison is deputy editor of The Business Magazine. He has spent his life in journalism – doing work experience in newsrooms in and around Bristol while still at school, and landing his first job on a local newspaper aged 19. By 28 he was the youngest newspaper editor in the country. An early advocate of online news, he spent the first years of the 2000s telling his bosses that the internet posed both the biggest opportunity and greatest threat to the newspaper industry and the art of journalism. He was right on both counts. Since 2006 he has enjoyed a career as a freelance journalist. He lives in rural Wiltshire with one wife, two children, and three cats.