Suffolk cider producer Aspall, which was named Business of the Year in last year’s East Anglian Daily Times Business Awards, is now in contention

for another regional honour.

The business, established in the village of Aspall, near Debenham, in 1728 by Clement Chevallier. and now run by the eighth generation of the family, is one of 10 firms nominated in the East Anglia round of the Family Business of the Year contest.

Aspall won the Family Business category of the 2014 EADT Business Awards, which was sponsored by regional law firm Birketts, and then went on to beat off competition from the other category winners to claim the overall Business of the Year title, sponsored by EDF Energy and Suffolk Chamber of Commerce.

Also in the running for the 2015 Family Business of the Year contest in East Anglia are the two runners up in the Family Business category of last year’s EADT awards – Dynamic Fireworks, from Stanway, near Colchester, and Phillips Brothers (Woodshavings), from Raydon, near Hadleigh.

Three other Suffolk firms are also among those nominated – C & K Meats from Eye, electrical retailer Hughes, based in Lowestoft. and fashion retailer Coes, based in Ipswich.

Completing the line-up are Fairfields Farm Crisps from Wormingford, near Colchester, Allen & Page Horse Feeds from Shipdham, near Thetford, James Beck Auctions from Fakenham, Norfolk, and hardware retailer Biggars of Bailgate, from Lincoln.

The Family Business of the Year competition is being run by the website www.familybusinessunited.com and will culminate with a ceremony in London on June 11. The selection process involves a combination of a public vote, which is open until the end of April, and a judging panel.

The 2015 EADT Business Awards, which will again be supported by EDF Energy and Suffolk Chamber as joint main sponsors, are due to be launched in mid-February.