Last updated at 16:23, Tuesday, 15 September 2009

A BARROW businesswoman has scooped a top award.

Ooy Rigg, who runs the Northern School of Asian and Oriental Cooking and the Wox Express takeaway in Ormsgill, has been named North West Female Entrepreneur of the Year in the O2 X Business Awards.

Mrs Rigg and husband John have spent the past five years bringing a taste of the east to Cumbria in a cultural cooking roadshow for schools.

The pair recently set up their school of cookery from a base in Park Road, Barrow.

Mrs Rigg will travel to London this week to receive her award. During her stay in the capital, she will be interviewed and photographed for glossy magazine Grazia, which sponsors the women’s award. Mrs Rigg said: “The people at Grazia are going to take some photos of me and give me a makeover. I am quite nervous about it. It is an honour to get this award.”

All the regional winners become nominees in the category for the grand final of Female Entrepreneur of the Year, which takes place on September 29.

The overall winner gets a £5,000 grant towards expanding their business and the help of a top mentor.

Mrs Rigg was runner-up at the British Female Inventor and Innovator of the Year Awards held in Cardiff in June.

The couple recently returned from a two-month trip to Mrs Rigg’s native Thailand. Mrs Rigg said: “We heard about the shortlist while we were over there.

“Then after we got back, we found out I had won.

“We are going back to London at the end of September and we’ll find out if I have won the national award.”

Mr Rigg said: “It’s a great achievement and very good for our business.

“It was a great idea to set up the cookery school.”

First published at 13:11, Tuesday, 15 September 2009
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk