Hay on Wye glamping business named one of the Nation’s Favourite Businesses

By the Wye glamping in Hay on Wye has been named as one of the Nation’s Favourite Businesses by the Small Business Saturday campaign.

The campaign has kicked off its annual call to champion and support the nation’s favourite small businesses.

By the Wye – www.bythewye.uk – was founded by Stephen Salter and Dawn Farnworth in 2020 and offers luxury sustainable holiday accommodation in nature.

The award winning, family run glamping business in Hay on Wye has six custom built safari tents perched in trees overlooking the River Wye, all set within 10 acres of mixed ancient woodland.

The off-grid holiday experience blends environmental sustainability with upscale comfort.

Following a nationwide search, By the Wye has been selected as part of this year’s Nation’s Favourite Business line-up, in a shake up from the campaign’s long-standing SmallBiz100.

One of By the Wye’s custom built safari tents perched in trees overlooking the River Wye.

The campaign will showcase each business as part of the official countdown to Small Business Saturday on December 5.

The grassroots, non-commercial campaign, originally founded by American Express in America in 2010, aims to celebrate and uplift independent firms by encouraging the public to support and spend with small businesses.

“To be named one of the Nation’s Favourite Businesses for 2026 is an incredible honour for us,” said Dawn. “We started By the Wye glamping because, on our cycling adventures in Europe, we experienced some unique and wonderful places to stay in nature and decided to bring them home.

“This award from Small Business Saturday is a huge milestone for us and inspires our team to keep pushing the boundaries of sustainable luxury glamping.”

Michelle Ovens CBE, director of Small Business Saturday UK, said: “This year’s Nation Favourite Businesses are a true representation of the UK’s most-loved small businesses.

“From independent, family run cafés and local restaurants, to makers, services and traders, they showcase the incredible diversity of the UK’s small business community.

“We know how important small businesses are and the challenges they face, so as we kick off this year’s Small Business Saturday campaign, we’re urging the public to get behind them during the most critical trading quarter of the year.”

Dan Edelman, UK Merchant Services general manager at American Express, said: “This year’s Nation’s Favourite Businesses are a brilliant showcase of the UK’s entrepreneurial spirit and we’re delighted to be providing grant funding that will help two of these inspiring businesses invest in their next chapter of growth.”

By the Wye is a member of Mid Wales Tourism, an independent membership organisation that represents more than 600 tourism and hospitality businesses across Powys, Ceredigion and Meirionnydd.

To learn more Small Business Saturday’s Nation’s Favourite Businesses, visit: https://smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com/.