Foodie hero, Gregg Wallace, has been revealed as the guest speaker at this year's Cornwall Business Awards.

Best known for co-presenting BBC's MasterChef , Gregg is also well-loved for fronting Eat Well for Less and Inside the Factory, as well as other TV projects.

He started his career on a fruit and veg stall in Covent Garden and went on to establish George Allan’s Greengrocer which built up to an eventual turnover of £7.5 million. He is also a writer and farmer and has owned two restaurants.

Gregg will share tales of his business success with business leaders, award hopefuls and sponsors when the awards ceremony takes place on April 19 at St Mellion International Resort.

“I look forward to learning more about Cornwall’s burgeoning business scene," said Gregg. "On my visits to the county I’m always impressed by the quality and variety of businesses, and their products, not just in the food and hospitality sector but across the board.”

For the first time the awards are hosted by the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Growth and Skills Hub which provide an independent and impartial signposting service to help businesses grow through specialist support and training.

“We are hugely excited to welcome Gregg Wallace to the Cornwall Business Awards," said Stu Anderson, operations director at the hub. "Hearing how he has built up multi-pound businesses from scratch will be both inspiring and of real benefit to local businesses.”

Now in their 13th year, the awards champion businesses that stand out from the crowd and celebrate excellence across all business sectors, spanning everything from tourism to tech. With 14 categories to choose from they are open to businesses based in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly of all shapes and sizes.

It is free to enter and applications are invited until the deadline of February 16. For more information visit cornwallbusinessawards.co.uk.