A mother and daughter team are delighted after winning a county business competition and they now have the chance to earn the help of a star from TV’s Dragons’ Den for a year.

Frome based Handbag business Peony & Moore, ran by Pam Palmer, 64, and Lucy Clayphan, 38, were one of three businesses victorious in the Wiltshire stage of the Local Business Accelerators competition.

The three winners, which also include All Angels Ltd, based in Hannington and Swindon’s Frankly Recruitment Business, were selected by a judging panel, with their prize including local professional business mentoring and a substantial allocation of free advertising space in the Gazette & Herald and its sister papers.

The winners will now be submitted into the national stages of the competition along with the other hundreds of regional winners with one business winning the grand prize of a year’s mentoring from Dragons’ Den star Deborah Meaden.

Mrs Clayphan said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been selected, the mentoring and the advertising will be crucial at the very important time for us, I just feel so elated.”

Peony & Moore, based in Lower Street, Rode, has been in business for two years selling their range of leather handbags which has seen their products listed on Red Direct and clothes website ASOS.com and they’ve also been featured in magazines such as Vogue, Marie Claire and Bath Life amongst others.

Mrs Clayphan, who has previously worked in marketing for Heinz and for a number of years as a freelance, said: “It is quite a unique relationship being in business with your mother but it is very rewarding. We both have backgrounds in business and so thought it was a good idea to start Peony & Moore and there is of course a great family feel in our business.

“For example, our name takes inspiration from my grandmother, as Moore was her maiden name and Peony was her favourite flower.

“We feel the next three to five years will be crucial for us as we look to take the business further and we’d love to receive the guidance of Deborah Meaden if we win the competition outright. So far I’ve really enjoyed working with my mother as there’s such a great level of trust between us.”

The overall winner of the Local Business Accelerators competition, which has had over 3,000 entrants, will be announced later this year.

More than 500 local papers have taken part in the campaign supporting local businesses by providing £15 million of free advertising.

TV star and businesswoman Ms Meaden said: “I’ve seen the unique contribution that local press makes to the success of local businesses time and again with my own ventures.

“In this age of enterprise it has never been more important to drive awareness about the value of local marketing for a fledgling business, which is why I’m so proud to support Local Business Accelerators and help build thriving and industrious communities.”

The two other Wiltshire winners were Swindon firm Frankly Recruitment, who have been in business for two years and they are expecting to break the £1m turnover barrier in their third year. Hannington-based furniture polishers All Angles Ltd, who have TV star Anne Robinson and the Dorchester group as clients, were also successful in the competition.

For more information about Peony & Moore visit www.

peonyandmoore.com