CRUMBS Brewing, which has strong Isle of Wight links, has been named as a finalist in the Great British Entrepreneur Awards in the sustainability entrepreneur of the year category.

Crumbs was founded by Morgan Arnell, who grew up in Cowes, and his wife, Elaine.

Nearly half the bread made in the UK goes to waste. That statistic shocked Elaine and Morgan so much they decided to turn unsold loaves from their local artisan bakery — Chalk Hills in Surrey — into a range of delicious beers.

They partnered with Isle of Wight-based Goddards Brewery to produce their beers, so Crumbs is now available in Waitrose, John Lewis, Southern Co-op, the National Trust, as well as a wide range of pubs, restaurants, hotels and farm shops.

Isle of Wight County Press: Morgan Arnell at work making the Crumbs Brewing beers..Morgan Arnell at work making the Crumbs Brewing beers..

Each beer is made with a single type of loaf, that way the beer reflects the bread that makes it. It has enabled Crumbs to rescue more than 30,000 loaves from being wasted.

Morgan and Elaine are one of the shortlisted business leaders from across the nation to have been selected out of more than 5,300 entrants — the most the awards has ever had.

The Great British Entrepreneur Awards champions the hard work and uplifting stories of business owners across the UK, with an emphasis on their journey and resilience over financial achievements.

Twelve awards will be given out per region for categories. Notable winners from previous years include Social Chain founder Steven Bartlett, who went on to become the youngest ever investor on BBC’s Dragon’s Den.

Morgan said: “It’s amazing to get recognised for such a prestigious award and be selected from so many entrants.

"We’re a small brand trying to do something good for the fight against food waste in a delicious way. It’s great that someone has noticed our effort!”

The winners will be announced at a grand final, held at the Grosvenor Hotel, London, on November 21.