There was a record 110 entries in this year’s Tile Awards, presented last month at the Birmingham Hilton Metropole Hotel by the Tile Association (TTA).

And it was a good night for Alma Small’s Mandarin Stone chain that specialises in stone.

Based in Monmouth, Wales, Mandarin now have branches in Bristol, Cheltenham, Marlow, Bath, Cardiff, Exeter and Weybridge.

They not only won the Best Natural Product category for their Jerusalem Ramon brushed limestone, which gives a muted wash of creams, greys and golds with regular inclusions of shells and fossils, they also gained the Award for Best Website (you can check it out for yourself at

www.mandarinstone.com). The site already flags up the success on its home page. Mandarin were also among the finalists in several other categories.

Mandarin’s Jerusalem Ramon brushed limestone was added to their 2008 brochure. They introduced it as 918mm x 610mm slabs at only 11mm thick. They say: “Having monitored the trend towards larger formats and realizing that clients were now tiling larger areas within their homes and commercial settings, we deemed these large slabs the most saleable option.”

They add that the 11mm thickness was an important consideration because it means they get a good square meterage in containers with resulting price benefits for their customers. “The product has been used to clad walls in larger areas and bathrooms, the 11mm thickness making this entirely feasible.”

It was also a good night for Ireland, with the Excellence in Independent Retailing Award going to TileStyle, Dublin, whose showroom the judges described as a “bright, spacious and inspiring place to shop”. The Excellence in Multiple Retailing Award also went to an Irish company, Armatile, based in Armagh, Northern Ireland. They have showrooms in Belfast and Newry, as well as Armagh.

And Best Use of Tile by an Architect or Designer went to Irish practice Douglas Wallace Architects of Dublin for their work at the Peter Mark Style Club in the city.

Best Innovation went to N&C Nicobond for their Plastic Ply timber floor reinforcing sheet, which is an easy-to-use alternative to plywood for laying stone and tiles on timber floors.

One of its benefits is that it is only 2mm thick, whereas ply needs to be at least 15mm thick. It is also a lot easier to handle. It comes in self-adhesive sheets 600mm x 500mm that are light, easy to handle and can be cut with scissors. Even DIYers can do it. Once laid, it is covered with adhesive and the stone or other tile stuck to it.

TTA also presented a lifetime achievement Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Tile Industry to Bill Walters, who worked for 43 years with the British Ceramic Research Association, now known as Ceram.