IPSWICH Building Society last night took top honours at the 12th Anglian Business Awards. The society, whose mutual status has helped it to buck the trend in the hard-pressed financial sector over the past year, first won the Medium to Large Business of the Year award and then beat off competition from 14 other category winners to claim the overall Business of the Year title.

IPSWICH Building Society last night took top honours at the 12th Anglian Business Awards.

The society, whose mutual status has helped it to buck the trend in the hard-pressed financial sector over the past year, first won the Medium to Large Business of the Year award and then beat off competition from 14 other category winners to claim the overall Business of the Year title.

The awards, organised by the East Anglian Daily Times and supported this year by Choose Suffolk as main sponsor, were held at Trinity Park, Ipswich, and attracted an audience of around 320 people from across the regional business community.

Welcoming guests to the event, EADT editor Terry Hunt congratulated all the finalists on the success they had achieved despite the tough economic climate, and thanked Choose Suffolk and the line-up of category sponsors for their support.

The Small Business of the Year, and runner-up for the overall award, was film and video production company Bruizer while the Start-Up Business of the Year title went to recruitment firm @work.

The International Trade award, and third place overall, went to logistics provider Morrison Freight, with ingredients company Omega winning the Innovation & Technology category and research, marking and design firm Mackman recognised for Outstanding Customer Service.

Architects firm The Johns Practice won the Marketing award, live-in care agency Christies Care took the honours for Training & Development and theatre company Red Rose Chain was named Not-for-Profit Business of the Year.

Diversified rural business Bunting & Sons won the Rural Business category, Otley College claimed the award for Community Involvement and Adnams Hotels carried off the Environment award.

Of the two individual awards, the Entrepreneur of the Year title was won by Joanne Searle of East Suffolk Mind while the Young Business Person of the Year accolade went to Simon Doidge of Passion Automotive.

A special award presented as part of Suffolk Chamber's Year of Skills campaign went to The Hearing Care Centre, which runs a network of centres for people with hearing problems.

Last night's award ceremony was hosted by ITV weather presenter Becky Mantin, and also included entertainment from mind reader Graham Jolley and a prize draw in support of East Anglia's Children's Hospices.

The full roll of honour for the 2009 Anglian Business Awards was:

Start-Up Business of the Year (sponsored by the Ipswich & Suffolk Small Business Association and the Federation of Small Businesses): Winner - @work Recruitment, Ipswich; Runners-up - Kingsland Linassi, Felixstowe, and Lily Pins, Bishops Stortford.

Innovation and Technology (sponsored by University Campus Suffolk): Winner - Omega Ingredients, Great Blakenham, near Ipswich; Runners-up: CallScripter, Ipswich, and Eventricity, Ipswich.

Outstanding Customer Service (sponsored by BusinessEast): Winner - Mackman Ltd, Sudbury; Runners-up - React Computer Partnership, Woodbridge, and The Hearing Care Centre, Ipswich.

Small Business of the Year (sponsored by NatWest): Winner - Bruizer, Bentwaters Park, near Woodbridge; Runners-up - Icon Consultants, Ipswich, and The Johns Practice, Newmarket.

International Trade (sponsored by the Haven Gateway Partnership): Winner - Morrison Freight, Great Blakenham, near Ipswich; Runners-up - Essex Chambers of Commerce, Colchester, and Icon Consultants, Ipswich.

Young Business Person of the Year (sponsored by Picasso HR): Winner - Simon Doidge, Passion Automotive, Great Yarmouth; Runners-up - Simon Stockdale, Pandala Communications, Stowmarket, and Michelle Wootton, Basepoint Business Centre, Ipswich.

Rural Business (sponsored by the Suffolk Agricultural Association): Winner - Bunting and Sons, Little Horkesley, near Colchester; Runners-up - Otley College, Otley, near Ipswich, and Ultimate Care, Stutton, near Ipswich.

Training and Development (sponsored by the Learning and Skills Council): Winner - Christies Care, Saxmundham; Runners-up - The Angel Hotel, Bury St Edmunds, and The Hearing Care Centre, Ipswich.

Environment (sponsored by EDF Energy Networks): Winner - Adnams Hotels, Southwold; Runners-up - Bunting & Sons of Little Horkesley, near Colchester, and The Green Light Trust, Lawshall, near Bury St Edmunds.

Entrepreneur of the Year (sponsored by Picasso HR): Winner - Joanne Searle, East Suffolk Mind, Hintlesham, near Ipswich; Runners-up - Craig Sennett, Icon Consultants, Ipswich, and Jenny Twigg, Lily Pins, Bishops Stortford.

Not-for-Profit Business of the Year (sponsored by Leo-Print): Winner - Red Rose Chain, Ipswich; Runners-up - East Anglian Air Ambulance, Norwich, and East Anglia's Children's Hospices, Ipswich.

Medium to Large Business of the Year (sponsored by Prettys): Winner - Ipswich Building Society, Ipswich; Runners-up - Christies Care, Saxmundham, and Gipping Homes, Baylham, near Ipswich.

Community Involvement (sponsored by Adnams plc): Winner - Otley College, Otley, near Ipswich; Runners-up - CPW Computing, Needham Market, and Willis, Ipswich.

Marketing (sponsored by Trebuchet): Winner - The Johns Practice, Newmarket; Runners-up - Basepoint Business Centre, Ipswich, and Eventricity, Ipswich.

The Year of Skills Award (sponsored by Suffolk Chamber of Commerce): Winner - The Hearing Care Centre, Ipswich; Runners-up - Feathers4Hair, Colchester, and Milsom Hotels, Dedham, near Colchester.

Business of the Year (sponsored by Choose Suffolk): Winner - Ipswich Building Society, Runner-up - Bruizer; Third - Morrison Freight.