The founder and CEO of UK retailer Iceland, Malcolm Walker, has been knighted as part of the Queen’s Birthday Honour’s List 2017.
Writing on Twitter, the Iceland frozen food chain boss says: “I’m stunned and delighted to receive the great honour of a knighthood – and send many thanks to everyone who has congratulated me on it.”
Walker, who founded Iceland in 1970 with the launch of a single shop in Shropshire, is honoured for services to retailing, entrepreneurship and charity.
He had previously been awarded a CBE in 1995.
The company now employs more than 23,000 people across 800 UK stores with overseas supermarkets in Ireland, Spain, Iceland and the Czech Republic.
The Queen’s Birthday Honours lists 2017 recognises the achievements of a wide range of extraordinary people from across Britain.