AWARD-WINNING fudge maker Michael Goodchild says he’s now looking to take his Teesside firm to the next level after scooping a national title.

The entrepreneur, who launched his firm Fudge Fancies in Eston in 2010, recently came third in the national Local Business Accelerators competition.

Organised by the Newspaper Society, he fought off competition from more than 3,000 UK firms to take the national honour.

And now he hopes Fudge Fancies, which he started after swapping his job as a plasterer to set up a business making confectionery from his home, will now grow further on the back of the recent win.

“It was absolutely brilliant to win my certificate. I’m absolutley chuffed to bits,” he said. “But now I need to sit down and see where I’m taking the business in the next couple of years.”

Michael says maintaining the product’s homemade quality will be key as the firm grows.

“Scaling up the business is important, but so is the handmade touch. If I was to grow and take on three or four staff, it would still be fudge being made by hand.”

Michael was presented with his Certificate of Merit at the national LBA awards in London last week.