AN OXFORDSHIRE company has joined the line-up of winners including furniture giants Ikea and Habitat in this year’s PETA Vegan Homeware Awards.

Vegan Bunny won the 2018 award for Best Vegan Candle – one of 10 categories announced online by the charity which is best known for its fur-free demonstrations and unethical brand call-outs.

PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, ran the awards for the second year running, teaming up with consumers to get feedback on the best vegan products on the market.

Vegan Bunny founder Elisa Lubisco, who runs the business from her home in Thame, said: “I wasn’t expecting it at all.

“The other awards were given to companies like Ikea and here it’s just me and my sister.”

The mother-of-one said that the award had increased demand for the £12 'citrus-scented' Ginger Soy candle, but said she was not planing to go global yet, adding: “We’re a small company and I want to keep it like that – no machines, all by hand.

“We’ve had demand from overseas but we’re trying to reduce our carbon footprint, so we won’t ship abroad.”

The candles, which have an average burning time of up to 40 hours, are made from essential oils, biodegradable wax and cotton and paper wicks and are shipped using plastic-free packaging.

Ms Lubisco runs the company, now celebrating its first year of success, alongside her sister Orianna, who is training to make the candles.

The pair said that they can usually turn over 400 candles a month.

She added: “When I’m stressed, it reflects in my work: the candles won’t be perfect, so when we’re tired, we stop working.”

Other household names that won alongside Vegan Bunny included Zara Home, winning Best Wool-Free Blanket for its Plain Weave Multicoloured Blanket, Habitat which got the trophy for Best Vegan Bedding and The White Company which now proudly waves the flag for the best silk-free sheets for its Camborne Bed Linen Collection.

Ikea won 'Best Faux Sheepskin Rug' for a second year running with its fluffy grey matt which retails at £10.

The awards ran alongside the sports awards, which both recognise the rise of a vegan lifestyle and aim to offer a compiled list of the ‘best-ofs’ for shoppers.