One of Britain’s oldest garden centres set the pace by picking up two prestigious awards at the first ever Neston and District Business Awards.

Burton-based Gordale, founded in 1948, won the Big Business of the Year gong along with the Green Business Award.

Other winners were Neston builder Harry Phipps & Co which was named Small Business of the Year, Elephant Coffee which won the Customer Service Award and Burton family company Dunstan Fish & Game which picked up the Online Business of the Year honour.

There were also two individual awards with Entrepreneur of the Year going to Adam Mitchell of Neston building services firm AP Mitchell and Business Achievement recognition for Phillip Bates of accountants Phillip Bates & Co.

Phillip received his award for his contribution over more than 30 years to the Neston business community.

More than 120 people packed the Cranston Suite at Neston Cricket Club for the awards, which were co-ordinated by Neston & District Chamber of Trade and sponsored by digital and content agency Brand, print specialist Evolution, Neston Town Council and AboutMyArea CH64.

Ellesmere Port and Neston MP Andrew Miller opened the evening, describing the Neston and district business community as the ‘lifeblood of the economy’.

The awards were hosted by Tony Bush, newly elected president of Neston Cricket Club, and Nick Mason, a director of Brand, which is based in the town centre.

Speaking after the event, fellow Brand director, Lucy Mason, said: “We were delighted by the response from the Neston & District business community and we are already thinking about how we can make next year’s event even bigger and better.

“There were some extremely worthy winners and many other equally worthy businesses which just missed out.

“I think we have demonstrated what can be achieved when local businesses work together, but it is vital that the momentum from the event is now maintained and built upon.”

The full list of winners is:

Business of the Year (1-10 employees): Harry Phipps and Co.

Business of the Year (10 or more employees): Gordale.

Entrepreneur of the Year: Adam Mitchell – AP Mitchell.

Green Business Award: Gordale

Online Business of the Year: Dunstan Fish & Game.

Customer Service Award: Elephant Coffee.

The Business Achievement Award: Phillip Bates – Phillip Bates & Co.