The British Franchise Association franchisee of the year award has been won by an entrepreneur who gave up running his own vegetable business to launch a franchise specialising in property lettings.

Terry Lucking (pictured, right) took first place and a cheque from HSBC for £5,000 at an awards ceremony in Birmingham's International Convention Centre.

Lucking has run the Peterborough franchise of property lettings and management specialist Belvoir for eight years, during which time it has become one of the most successful businesses in the franchise network.

Lucking won the award after creating a series of initiatives with his franchisor to develop greater value for money for customers while keeping the business ahead of the competition. These included using feedback forms, encouraging customers to grade the level of service received and answering all suggestions and criticisms personally.

"Judgingthese awards is always a difficult task but we felt that Terry showed determination and commitment to building a successful business," said Cathryn Hayes (pictured, middle), head of franchising for HSBC Bank.

"This is a franchisee who truly understands that without the customer, there is no business. It's a strategy that has seen a whole raft of innovation and inspired initiatives flow into the business.

"Indeed, so successful have these been that many of Terry's ground breaking ideas have quite rightly been adopted through the Belvoir network," she added.

McDonald's franchisee Atul Pathak, who opened his first store four years ago, was awarded second prize and a cheque for £3,000 while David Amos, of the Pitman Training franchise in Bishop's Stortford, won third prize and a £2,000 cheque.

"The franchise sector is home to some of the UK's most successful brands," said Brian Smart (pictured, left), director general of the BFA. "These brands have been built on the foundation of a franchisor driven to build and support a network and franchisees who are committed to developing their own business.

"The awards recognise the very best franchisees and how their focus and drive, when supplemented by the support of a franchisor, results in the growth of a sustainable, and profitable business."