CARDIFF entrepreneur Shazia Awan has been named the UK’s best female Asian entrepreneur.

The 28-year-old took the prestigious title at the annual Asian Women of Achievement Awards at London’s Park Lane Hilton on Wednesday night.

Ms Awan was nominated following the success of her start-up company Peachy Pink. Its ladies anti-cellulite and body-shaping underwear range, PeachyBody, is now sold globally.

Having signed an initial distribution deal with Debenhams last year, Ms Awan has expanded her business into South Korea and is about to sell into the Czech Republic. She has strong ambitions for growth in the coming year and is confident of establishing a £5m turnover business.

The award ceremony was attended by 700 including Princess Michael of Kent and Princess Badiya El Hassan of Jordan.

Ms Awan said yesterday; “It was an absolute thrill to win this award and I’m grateful to the people who nominated me.

“It was amazing to think that the event was attended by royalty and leading politicians and great entrepreneurs like James Caan.

“It was a wonderful evening but the best thing was that my mum and dad, my sister and close friends, including Secretary of State for Wales, Cheryl Gillian, were there with me.”

Ms Awan was shortlisted alongside Jayshree Davé, founder and director of Pipaltree; Farnaz Khan, managing director, eResponse Media; Angela Malik, chef and patron, the Angela Malik School of food and wine and Geeta Sidhu-Robb, founder of Nosh Detox.

Ms Awan received her award from Home Secretary Theresa May.

Judges of the Asian Women of Achievement Awards – chaired by British Red Cross chief executive Sir Nicholas Young and with Cherie Blair as patron – said this year’s winners were some of the most outstanding individuals ever to be honoured in the programme’s 11-year history.