Duke of York Young Entrepreneur Award winners

Three LJMU graduates received royal approval from HRH The Duke of York for their business enterprise, PHOM.

Philip Perera, Omar Farag and Tristan Bacon, all LJMU Business School graduates, collected The Duke of York Young Entrepreneur Award from the Duke himself at a special awards ceremony, organised and hosted by the University of Huddersfield.

The team set up PHOM while they were studying at LJMU, receiving support with their business venture from the University’s Centre for Entrepreneurship. The idea for the company came about when they were having a tea break during their studies, and Philip mentioned how he missed the loose teas he was used to drinking from his mum’s tea shop in Germany. The team then set about creating what would come to be known as PHOM.

The company has now received several accolades, and also made an appearance on Dragons’ Den, where the team turned down £50,000 investment from Kelly Hoppen. The Duke of York Young Entrepreneur Award is the latest success to add to the pair’s growing list.

The Duke of York Young Entrepreneur Awards were launched in 2013 to highlight the role that young entrepreneurs play in creating a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem, and to recognise the achievements of talented student and graduate entrepreneurs.  All universities across the North of England are invited to select a student or graduate start-up business or social enterprise to receive one of the awards.