A COUNTY Durham firm is celebrating after a triple success at the North East Business Awards.

John Warren ABP, of Hamsterley, won two awards – one for services, and the other for low carbon, corporate responsibility and environment – while its sister business Emerald Biogas, of Newton Aycliffe, took the best newcomer title.

Warrens is a family-owned animal by-product and food waste collection and recycling business, which works with 8,000 customers across the North of England.

Judges were impressed by its achievements over the past year, which included reducing its customers “food miles” by an average of 96 per cent – 60,344 miles a year – investing in and opening the region’s first anaerobic digestion plant – run by Emerald Biogas – to turn food waste into electricity.

It also set up a new vehicle tracking and job despatch system which allows them to make same-day collections from orders placed from anywhere in the North-East.

The Durham and Wearside awards were held at Ramside Hall, near Durham City, and the two companies now go through to the regional final at Hardwick Hall, Sedgefield, on May 1.

Adam Warren, managing director of John Warren ABP, said: “We are really blown away by this success – it is a tribute to the fantastic team of people we have here at Warrens and also at Emerald Biogas.

Every single one of them has helped build the company up and these awards recognise all of their efforts.

“The award wins are special for us because all the judges took the time to come out and visit the businesses so they really did get an opportunity to meet staff and see what we’re all about.”