A fruit grower which supplies supermarkets with one in every 4.5 apples sold in the UK was named Business of the Year at the Medway Business Awards.

Family-run producer AC Goatham & Son picked up the top prize in front of 240 guests at the ceremony held at the Priestfield Stadium in Gillingham.

Bosses said they were “delighted” with the honour and drew applause when they announced they would donate the £1,000 winner’s cheque to the awards’ charity, the Oliver Fisher Special Care Baby Unit at Medway Maritime Hospital.

The company, which has a giant packhouse at Flanders Farm in Hoo, was among 12 finalists to be commended on the evening, sponsored by Furley Page solicitors, Handelsbanken and Kreston Reeves.

Carol Ford, commercial director at AC Goatham & Son, said: “It is absolutely amazing to win Medway Business of the Year. We are absolutely delighted.

“I speak for the whole team when I say this is an amazing and proud moment for us that I’m sure we will remember forever..." - Clive Goatham, AC Goatham & Son

“We grow the best British apples and pears right here in Medway. That is all about teamwork.”

Clive Goatham, whose father Arthur Conference Goatham founded the business in 1947, said: “It is the culmination of many years of hard work within Medway.

“I speak for the whole team when I say this is an amazing and proud moment for us that I’m sure we will remember forever.

“We are a long-long way from reaching the end of our objectives and we will try to continue to develop and expand within Medway as hard and fast as we can.”

Other winners on the night included data analytics firm Digital Contact from Strood, which won the Ahead of the Market prize, and Chatham-based rail engineering business AM1 Projects won the Fast Track to Success prize.

Industrial equipment and appliance supplier Food Machinery Company in St Mary Hoo picked up the Investing to Grow honour while the Manufacturing Excellence gong was given to castings maker Aeromet International, which has offices in Rochester.

Risk consultancy business BB7 was given the ECITB Award for Success through Training.

Susan Jennings, chair of the judges and a partner at Furley Page, said: “This year has been as fantastic as ever.

“It was difficult to get all the great applicants down to 12 finalists and even harder to pick six winners.”

The night’s other finalists were Alpha Waste Solutions, Cura Energy, Fourex, H.E. Services (Plant Hire), John Planck Ltd and Reddoor Homes.

A raffle raised £1,292 for awards charity the Fisher Special Care Baby Unit at Medway Maritime Hospital.

Helen Ditton, a neonatal nurse at the centre, said: “It will be put to good use for the babies and their families. It was very generous for the winners to donate their winners cheque to the charity.”

Pick up the Friday edition of the Medway Messenger for an eight-page Medway Business Awards special.