A Suffolk company which has been supplying woodshavings and sawdust for more than a century has been named among the winners at the 2015 Family Business Awards.

Phillips Bros, based at Raydon, near Hadleigh, was formed in 1894 by Harry Phillips, a fish carrier at the Billingsgate fish market in London, to meet demand for oak sawdust to smoke fish.

He went on to supply sawdust for butchers’ shop floor and the business has continued to develop over four further generations, now specialising in sawdust, shavings and chopped straw for poultry and horse bedding.

At the Family Business Awards, held in Mayfair, London, and organised by the www.familybusiness united.com website, Phillips Bros picked up the regional title for East Anglia, sponsored by law firm Birketts.

James Austin, a partner at Birketts, who was one of the judges for the East Anglia category, said: “Having reviewed a number of excellent submissions from family businesses based in East Anglia choosing a winner was quite a challenge.

“What stood out about Phillips Brothers was how their family values influenced all aspects of the business. In particular, their desire to create jobs for local people and bring on young talent is commendable.”

Phillips director Jane Knapp said: “We are immensley proud to receive this award and the recognition it brings to our ethos of being an asset in our local community.”

Phillips sources its sawdust and wood shavings from 36 sawmills across the South East, with the raw material being processed by an automated dust extraction and baling plant.