Gifting business celebrates recognition

A Telford-based gifting business is celebrating regional recognition for its exceptional customer service after being named a runner-up at the West Midlands Small Business Growth Awards and a finalist in the Shropshire Chamber Business Awards.

Jeevan Punj, founder of Elite Hampers, attended a special reception at Hampton Manor in Solihull for the West Midlands Small Business Growth Awards, hosted by HSBC UK and the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). The awards celebrate outstanding small businesses across eight categories.

Elite Hampers was selected as runner-up in the Service Excellence Award, recognising businesses that go above and beyond to deliver first-class customer service.

The evening was hosted by Mark Lupton, regional director for HSBC in the West Midlands, who said: “Congratulations to all the brilliant winners and runners-up — you truly represent the very best of the UK’s SME community.”

More than 400 businesses applied for the West Midlands awards, with only three finalists selected in the Service Excellence category. Nationwide, the awards attracted around 2,800 entries.

Jeevan said: “As a small business approaching our fifth birthday later this year, I am incredibly proud to be recognised as a regional runner-up for customer service.

“Providing an outstanding experience for both our customers and hamper recipients is always our priority. We support our customers throughout their gifting journey — from the initial order right through to after delivery. Our 2026 customer survey shows that 84% of respondents have used Elite Hampers more than once, and 100% said they would use us again.”

On the same day as the West Midlands awards, Elite Hampers was also announced as a finalist in the Outstanding Customer Service category at the Shropshire Chamber Business Awards.

The recognition adds to a growing list of achievements for Elite Hampers, who were also named one of the UK’s Top 100 Most Inspiring Small Businesses by the Small Business Saturday campaign last year.