A Narberth businesswoman who redeveloped a derelict house into a five-star luxury hotel has been nominated for two of the inaugural Welsh Women Mean Business Awards (WWMB).

Zoe Agar (pictured), joint owner and manager of The Grove - Narberth, has been nominated in the Best Female Business Newcomer and the Best Woman in Tourism/Leisure categories for her outstanding achievements in the hospitality industry.

Zoe previously worked for a large corporation, but moved to Pembrokeshire to spend more time with family. She had a clear goal to create the best loved hotel in Wales within three years.

With her partner, Zoe has taken The Grove from being a derelict house to a luxury hotel and restaurant, which opened just nine months after the property was purchased.

Despite having no direct experience of running a hospitality business, Zoe's drive and determination has led to The Grove being rated a five-star restaurant with rooms by Visit Wales and the AA. In January this year, The Grove was also listed by The Independent as one of the top 10 luxury hotels in Britain. 

Zoe said: "Although success stories of working women are much more commonplace now than they were 10 years ago, all too often women do not fulfil their potential in the business world. I'm extremely proud to be nominated for these awards, which I hope will show other women in Wales that success is possible through hard work and determination."

The WWMB awards have been established by Shram Events, which is run by entrepreneur and former Welsh Woman of the Year (2003), Sarah Cornelius. Sarah decided to start the awards after the Western Mail Welsh Woman of the Year awards ended last year in order to ensure that women's achievements in business are still recognised.

"We've been flooded by nominations from a wide range of sectors, from solicitors to hairdressers, restaurateurs and start-ups and it's been difficult to draw up the shortlist," said Sarah. "The achievements of women like Zoe can act as a real inspiration to others."

The awards, which are sponsored by Gocompare.com with SONY UK Technology Centre as principal partners, will take place in conjunction with International Women's Day celebrations on March 11. 

There are 11 categories in the awards, including best business leader, young Welsh female entrepreneur, best female business newcomer and the Joshua Foundation memorial prize for outstanding contribution from a Welsh business woman in the field of charity work.

The awards will be combined with fund-raising for two designated charities, The Joshua Foundation, which provides holidays and experiences for children with terminal cancer, and Cardiff Women's Aid.

The ceremony will take place at the Holland House Hotel in Cardiff on March 11. Guest speaker on the night will be Debbie Moore, founder and chairman of Pineapple Dance Studios.

For more information on the awards, visit http://www.shramevents.co.uk">www.shramevents.co.uk .