YOUNG entrepreneur Zac Burinski has been given another boost as his business goes from strength to strength.

His enterprise, Flava Shaka, was one of 113 recipients of a £1,000 grant from The Hunter Foundation (THF) to help ambitious youngsters to progress in various fields.

The 15-year-old Cumnock Academy pupil set up his operation from a spare room in his home, cooking and distributing flavoured cooking sauces — after he had failed to get a paper round.

In making the award, which was part of THF’s 100 Young Disrupters competition, Flava Shaka was praised for the healthy eating aspect of its products.

Announcing who was to receive cash, THF said Zac was producing ‘healthy tasty spice blends to help people on weight plans or healthy eating plans. He started the business aged 12 and has expanded over the last three years, to 10,000 customers and 40 stockists as well as winning awards and support from programmes’.

He will be using the grant to help invest in suitable premises in his home town of New Cumnock and continue to grow the business.

Zac is following in the footsteps of another New Cumnock businessman, Sir Tom Hunter, founder of THF, who started off selling training shoes from the back of a van.

Sir Tom said: “We were very impressed by the many brilliant initiatives entered by young people in Scotland, and we are delighted to have awarded more than 100 grants which will help them to embrace their ideas.

“As our next generation of leaders, the ambitions of young people of Scotland need to be welcomed, and it was so positive to read all of the fantastic ideas that we were sent.

“We were encouraged to read that many of the ideas were to help and support others in need, and we are delighted to have provided them with grants to realise their ambitions.”

THF partnered with a range of organisations to encourage young people to apply and to judge the winning entries, including Young Scot, Prince’s Trust, Young Enterprise Scotland, StreetSoccer, Who Cares Scotland and the Children’s Parliament.

Visit www.thehunterfoundation.co.uk for more information.