A MALVERN company that has come up with "the best thing since sliced bread" has won a national award.

Toastabags has won an award at The British Sandwich Awards 2004 for its revolutionary reusable non-stick bag that makes toasted sandwiches in the toaster.

Inventor Guy Unwin, aged 51, who was stacking shelves for a living two years ago, accepted the New Product Service award at The Royal Lancaster Hotel in London.

The award was given to Toastabags in association with Marks & Spencer who used the Toastabags technology to launch a range of take-away toasted sandwiches called 'Toast It' in their stores in January 2004. Already the range has proved to be a big seller with half-a-million units sold already.

"It's great to get national industry recognition," said Mr Unwin, who invented Toastabags at his home in North End Lane, Malvern, in 1999.

"Especially as so many large, big name companies were up for awards on the night. The Toastabags concept is going from strength to strength and contracts with companies like Marks & Spencer are proof of that."

The expanding company, which now employs seven people, moved from its base in Longdon, near Upton-upon-Severn, to larger premises on Malvern's Enigma Business Park last year.

It has been no stranger to local awards, having won the award for Innovation Leader of the Year at the Chamber of Commerce Herefordshire and Worcestershire Business Festival, in 2003. The firm also received a Highly Commended at the Platinum Awards for Business Excellence, run by Malvern Hills District Council, in 2003 and also in 2004.

Toastabags have been a best-seller for kitchenware supplier Lakeland Limited for the past two-and-a-half years and are being snapped up around the world. Mr Unwin is negotiating to have them stocked by leading supermarkets and is also hoping to crack the USA market.

"I was stacking shelves two years ago at the Kay's Catalogue warehouse, in Worcester," he said.

"I was earning £35 in the morning and the bank manager was bouncing my cheques in the afternoon.

''But I never gave up on Toastbags - they will be in everyone's kitchen over time."