A food and drink seller which stocks goods from more than 30 independent suppliers in the county was the big winner at the Kent Independent Traders Awards.

Whitstable Produce Store was named retail business of the year and growth business of the year at the ceremony at the Great Danes Hotel in Maidstone on Thursday.

Social media entrepreneur Britt Whyatt from Lower Halstow, near Rainham, won home-based business of the year for the second consecutive time for her She Who Bakes blog and recipe business, which has a following of more than 200,000 users on Facebook.

Other winners included start-up business of the year Naughty Floss in Ramsgate, trade business of the year the Cleaning Fairy in Faversham and entrepreneur of the year Nina Windheuser for Sevenoaks-based Trade Toys.

Tabitha Beasley, owner of the Marketing Assistant in Aldington, near Ashford, tweeted: “What a night! Total surprise but delighted to be Kent marketing & PR business of the year!”

Kings Hill-based Post and Packing, which won medium-sized business of the year, tweeted: “A great evening celebrating the success of Kent’s finest businesses!”

The winners were:

Start-up business of the year – Naughty Floss

Retail business of the year – Whitstable Produce Store

Marketing and PR business of the year - The Marketing Assistant

Contribution to the Community Award - Longleys Private Hire

Leisure and hospitality business of the year – Judd’s Foley Hotel

Small business of the year under three years’ experience – Conquest House Gallery

Professional achievement award – Linda Garcia, Alluxi Consulting

Home-based business of the year – She Who Bakes

Trade business of the year - The Cleaning Fairy

Customer service award – Lumiere Beauty & Asthetics

Small business over three years’ experience - Home Choice Carpets

Medium-sized business of the year - Post and Packing

Social media business of the year - KPS Digital Marketing

Growth business of the year – Whitstable Produce Store

Entrepreneur of the year - Nina Windheuser, Trade Toys

Rising stars – Laura Ansell of TriSwim, Martin White of Supply My Business and Amanda Flanders of Butterflies & Dreams Events