Fragrance shop Apothecary64 has been nominated in the StartUp Awards Wales in the High Street StartUp category.

Apothecary64 will compete against four other start-up businesses for the recognition, which will be awarded at a ceremony on June 30 at DEPOT Cardiff.

Craig Parker Trott, founder and owner of Apothecary64 on Cornerswell Road, told Nub News: "I'm super pleased with the nomination, especially since it's only been two years in May since I started the business and I only opened the shop a year ago in April.

"It would be great if I won. Not only would it be a win for me and the business, but also for Penarth."

Craig put himself forward for the award to win recognition for all the hard work he has put in since starting trading less than two years ago. "As the business has become a bit more established, I thought I'd put myself forward for a business award and give the business a bit more recognition from industry experts," he said.

Other categories at the awards include Digital StartUp, Creative StartUp and Global StartUp.

Last year, Apothecary64's Lavender and Rosemary Hand Sanitiser won bronze at the Free From Skincare Awards in the Hand, Foot and Nail Care category.

Some products were also featured in The Sunday Times.

Craig makes everything himself, with some help from a part-time member of staff two days a week. "Everything gets formulated by me, everything gets handmade by me – it's all labelled and boxed by hand, too. All the products here are vegan-friendly, cruelty-free, paraben-free and 100% natural," he said.

Bath and body products are a new addition to Apothecary64's offering and have already been recognised for their excellent quality. "We now have artisan soap bars and one of those has been submitted for a skincare award this year," said Craig.

"We also have a range of five Eau de parfums; one was picked up by Tatler for their April issue."

The new Ynys y Barri (Barry Island) candle was also featured in British GQ magazine in April, appearing in a men's gift guide.

Apothecary64 is already seeing significant growth this year. "It's a really big year; the shop has become well-known in the town and it's starting to get attention nationally," said Craig. "Randomly, I've got a few customers in the US as well. Before Brexit, I had quite a few customers in places like France and Germany, but the export taxes put a stop to that.

"Now, I've got customers in New York and Texas – I'm not sure why those two places in particular, but I send quite a lot out to those two areas of the US."

There will be a lot more to come from Apothecary64 in the near future. "I'd like to keep the quality of the products, keep introducing new seasonal fragrances, and eventually become a full lifestyle brand with body care products, fragrances, and I'll also be launching some facial skincare products later this year: face cleansers, moisturisers, face masks – it keeps me busy!"

Apothecary64 has also been shortlisted to win the Start-Up Business of the Year Award in the Wales division at the FSB Celebrating Small Business Awards.

Click here to browse all of Apothecary64's products. You can also follow Apothecary64 on Instagram.