Just Cards in St Ives has been named the best card shop in East Anglia.

The independent shop, based in Bridge Street, received the award at a lunch attended by almost 400 people at London’s Dorchester Hotel, in Park Lane.

Tom and Maureen O’Connell, who have owned Just Cards since 2000, were there to pick up the trophy that is now proudly displayed in their shop window.

Mr O’Connell said: “Maureen and I are honoured to receive this major award in recognition of our hard work and the dedication of our wonderful staff over many years. We were one of four finalists in 2011 but narrowly lost out, so it was great to be named the winner from six finalists this time.”

The awards were launched by Progressive Greetings magazine in 2005, in recognition of the contribution that retailers both large and small, make to the success of the greeting card industry.

All the winners in all the retail categories were arrived at as a result of nationwide nomination process. Earlier this year, more than 2,000 forms were distributed to UK greeting card publishers, who nominated the retailers they felt to be the worthy winners in each of the categories.