An independent business is celebrating 15 years of being open this month.

Tower Pet and Animal Feeds opened its doors in Tiptree in 2005.

The small business has recently undergone an eco-friendly makeover, encouraging dog owners to refill their treat jars and reduce waste.

Owner Rachel Edwards said: “The pet trade has suffered a lot of losses due to online retailers such as Amazon but Tower is proud to be flourishing, knowing they can offer personal advice to owners needing help on what to feed their pets and animals.

“The business is my own, which I opened when I was only 17 years old and is my absolute baby of a business, so I am super proud that we’ve reached our 15-year mark.

“The residents have been amazing and we still supply some who have been using us since the day we opened, which is fantastic.

“I couldn’t really think it could last this long. When I first opened, I remember sitting there all day by myself only having the odd one or two customers in.

“It’s certainly a different story now!”