SOUTHWOLD brewer Adnams last night took top honours at the 2006 Anglian Business Awards. Adnams first claimed the Environment award, in recognition of its investment in new energy-efficient brewing and distribution facilities, and then beat off competition from 13 other category winners to take the overall Business of the Year title.

SOUTHWOLD brewer Adnams last night took top honours at the 2006 Anglian Business Awards.

Adnams first claimed the Environment award, in recognition of its investment in new energy-efficient brewing and distribution facilities, and then beat off competition from 13 other category winners to take the overall Business of the Year title.

Besides Adnams' new environmentally-friendly distribution centre on the edge of Southwold, and the current upgrade of its brewing operation in the centre of the town, the judges were also impressed by the company's wider commitment to corporate social responsibility, its successful marketing campaigns and its financial performance.

The Anglian Business Awards, now in their ninth year, are organised by the East Anglian Daily Times, with Bank of Scotland Corporate as main sponsor, and were staged for the first time this year at the new conference and events centre at Trinity Park, formerly known as the Suffolk Showground.

The Start-Up Business of the Year title, for businesses which have been trading for less than two years, went to Felixstowe-based freight forwarding company Flexitrans while the Small Business of the Year award, for businesses with turnover of up to £1million, went to The Hearing Care Centre, which operates 12 hearing test centres across Suffolk.

KeConnect, the national independent internet service provider based at Great Blakenham, near Ipswich, won the Business Development category, which recognises sustained growth, and the Rural Business award went to fruit juice producer James White Drinks, from Ashbocking, near Ipswich.

The award for Outstanding Customer Service went to Bennett Homes, based at Nowton, near Bury St Edmunds, and the Marketing award was won by Haverhill-based flooring products manufacturer and supplier Ardex UK.

Ipswich Building Society took the Community Involvement award, Ipswich-based electronic security products company Plescon won the Innovation & Technology category and insurance intermediary Blyth Valley, also based in Ipswich, claimed the Dynamic Website award.

Veterinary products wholesaler Genevet, from Bury St Edmunds, won the award for Export Achievement while the Training & Development category was won by recruitment firm Select Recruitment, which operates across Suffolk and Essex.

Individual honours went to Jan Smith of Maldon-based IT equipment recycling company End-O-Line Services, who was named Entrepreneur of the Year, and Duncan Carr of specialist recruitment firm Flare International who took the Young Business Person of the Year title.

Around 360 people attended last night's awards ceremony, which was hosted by BBC Look East presenter Stewart White and included entertainment from impressionist and comedian Jon Culshaw.

n For full picture coverage of the Anglian Business Awards 2006, don't miss the BusinessEast supplement in next Tuesday's EADT.