Fast Track 100 national press release

Sunday 6 December 2015

BRITAIN’S FASTEST-GROWING PRIVATE COMPANIES REVEALED

Published today, the 19

annual

Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100

league table ranks Britain’s private

companies with the fastest-growing sales.

The 100 companies, which include well-known names such as restaurant group

Bill’s

, fashion retailer

Missguided

, premium cycling brand

Rapha

, brewery

BrewDog

, and retailer

Oak Furniture Land

, grew their

sales over the last three years by an average of 65% a year to a total of £3.7bn. Together they employ 19,500

staff, having added 13,500 jobs over the period.

One fifth of the companies on the league table were founded by serial entrepreneurs, who have started at

least one other business. They include No 1 company

Greentech Distribution

, a mobile phone recycler and

distributor which has ridden the boom in smartphones to grow sales by an average of 248% a year to £48.9m

in 2015.

A fifth are thriving under family leadership, including gourmet sausage producer

Heck! Food

, founded by

husband-and-wife team, Andrew and Debbie Keeble, who run the business with three of their children.

The league table and awards programme is sponsored by

Virgin

,

Barclays

,

BDO

and

BGF

, and is

compiled by

Fast Track

, the Oxford-based research and networking events company.

Sir Richard Branson of Virgin, the title sponsor for all 19 years, commented:

“This year’s Fast Track 100 is packed full of entrepreneurs and family businesses tackling many different

challenges head-on and thriving thanks to their team spirit and togetherness. Entrepreneurship and family

values are at the heart of everything we do at Virgin. Like many on the Fast Track 100, we’ve turned a family

business into a business family. Working with family works."

Top ten fastest-growing companies on the Virgin Fast Track 100 league table

Rank [2014 rank] Company Activity HQ location Annual sales growth over 3 years Sales £m Staff Year end‡ Comment 1 Greentech Distribution

Mobile phone recycler and distributor

High Wycombe 248% 48.9 20 Feb 15

Is rolling out an in-store repairs service with Samsung and network operators

2 Honest Burgers

Burger restaurant operator Central London 206% *6.9 252 Jan 15

Founders financed their second restaurant in 2012 with a friends-and-family fundraiser

3 Talon Outdoor

Media agency Central London 195% ^8.0 77 Dec 14

Placed outdoor advertising for the latest James Bond movie

4 Heck! Food

Gourmet sausage producer

Bedale,

North Yorkshire 159% *5.7 30 Jul 15

Named after a line in the 1983 movie Risky Business, starring Tom Cruise

5 [3] Day Webster Healthcare recruitment consultancy Northeast London 156% *63.7 144 Mar 15

Has more than 12,000 temporary healthcare staff on its books

Fast Track 100 national press release

Rank [2014 rank] Company Activity HQ location Annual sales growth over 3 years Sales £m Staff Year end‡ Comment 6 Carfinance247

Vehicle finance provider Manchester 148% *9.7 176 Jun 15

Receives on average 35,000 inquiries a month for car finance

7 Athena PTS Electrical engineering services Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria

126% *5.1 29 Jul 15 Has won business from clients such as EDF, Eon and BAE Systems

8

[7]

G2 Energy

Electrical and civil engineer

Olney,

Bucks 122% 32.3 60 Mar 15

Has connected almost 1GW of renewable energy to the National Grid since 2011

9

[18]

Pure Gym

Gym operator Leeds 121% 68.6 229 Dec 14

Olympic cyclist Sir Chris Hoy joined as an investor and adviser in June

10

[2]

The Car Finance Company

Vehicle finance provider

Portsmouth 119% *†53.9 400 Jun 15 Finances nearly 2,000 new customers every month

‡ Financial year end of latest available accounts * Supplied by company † Annualised figure

^ Net revenue, excluding adverting spend on behalf of clients

KEY FINDINGS OF THIS YEAR’S LEAGUE TABLE

Serial entrepreneurs:

The 20 companies on the league table founded by serial entrepreneurs include

gourmet burger group

Byron

, which Tom Byng started in 2007 after founding London restaurant Zucca.

Andrew Malcher and Jim Coleman founded and sold two businesses before investing £250,000 to start

shopping channel

High Street TV

in 2008.

Founders and their families:

Despite the challenges of parents, siblings and couples working together, 18

companies have thrived under family leadership. Footwear designer

Butterfly Twists

was set up by

brothers Emmanuel and Frank Eribo, together with two friends, and fruit snack manufacturer

Bear & Urban

Fruit

was founded by husband-and-wife team Andrew and Hayley Gait-Golding.

Profitability:

Combined operating profits of the 100 companies were £342m in 2014/15, up from £38m in

2011/12. Over half of the companies (53) increased their profit margins over the last three years to a healthy

average of 11%. Customer services provider

Huntswood

had the highest operating profits at £44m in 2014.

External capital:

Thirty-six companies have raised external capital, whether from private equity/venture

capital firms, business angels, or corporate investors. Twenty of these have sold minority stakes to external

investors. For example ATM maintenance services provider

Cennox

raised £5m growth capital from BGF.

International activity:

Almost half (48) of the companies have expanded overseas to boost revenue

growth, including

Tangle Teezer

, which ships its de-tangling hairbrushes to customers in 110 countries, and

homeware manufacturer

Designer Habitat

, which generates a third of its £21.4m sales overseas from

markets including America.

Manufacturing:

Twenty-five companies are engaged in manufacturing, either directly or indirectly (by

outsourcing to third parties). Examples include

Gtech

, which designs cordless vacuums, taking on

established brands like Dyson, Vax and Hoover, and

Vegware

, which makes compostable products from

plant-based materials such as sugar cane.

Food and drink innovation:

There are 18 food and drink companies, and many have developed distinct

products and services to stand out in this highly competitive sector. Gourmet burger group

Byron

has

differentiated itself through its individually styled branches, and online food retailer

Graze.com

has

developed more than 1,000 snack recipes since launch in 2007.

Regions:

The majority of companies are headquartered in London (39) and the southeast (18). Of the

remainder, 11 are in the northeast and Yorkshire, eight in the northwest, seven in the Midlands, six in the

southwest, five in Scotland, four in the East, and two in Wales.

The full league table will be published as an 8-page broadsheet supplement with the business section of

The Sunday Times

on 6 December, both in print and in the digital edition, and on

www.fasttrack.co.uk

.

See notes for editors for the full league table

THE FAST TRACK ONES TO WATCH

The Fast Track ‘Ones to Watch’ features 10 promising companies that did not meet the criteria of the league

table but have achieved strong sales growth and merit special recognition.

This year’s Ones to Watch companies include gluten-free food manufacturer

Genius

, whose sales rose

41% to £42m last year after it acquired the Free From bakery brand for £21.7m in 2013. The list also

includes

Bounce

, which runs two London venues combining table tennis with cocktail bars and food.

Co-founded by serial entrepreneur Adam Breedon in 2012, the firm generated £5m sales in its first year, and

now plans to launch in the US.

See final page for the 10 Ones to Watch league table

ENDS

PLEASE CREDIT IN FULL: “THE SUNDAY TIMES VIRGIN FAST TRACK 100”

For further information please contact:

Ying Chen, head of research operations, Fast Track 01865 297022, or

ying.chen@fasttrack.co.uk

.

Follow us on Twitter @ST_FastTrack #FastTrack100

Notes for editors

Fast Track

has published league tables of top-performing private companies with

The Sunday Times

for

the past 19 years. Its invitation-only dinners provide a valuable opportunity for entrepreneurs to network and

meet its sponsors. The company was founded and is run by Dr Hamish Stevenson, who also holds an

associate fellowship at Green Templeton College, Oxford University.

Previous Fast Track 100 success stories include chip designer

ARM

, which featured on the first league table

19 years ago with sales of £17m, floated in 1998 and is now valued at £15.8bn. Discount retailer

B&M

Retail

, which featured in 2009 with sales of £256m, floated in June 2014 and is now worth £3.2bn.

League table criteria:

Companies had to be registered in the UK and be independent, unquoted and ultimate holding companies.

Sales growth was measured by compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the latest three financial years.

A minimum of 25 weeks’ trading in their base and latest years was required. For accounting periods not

equal to a year, financials have been presented on an annual basis.

Annualised sales had to exceed £250,000 in the base year and not show a drop from the penultimate to the

latest year, where total sales had to exceed £5m. Firms had to have 10 or more employees, and make

operating profit of at least £500,000 in their latest available accounts. Recruitment firms and media agencies

are required to have gross profits of at least £5m in their latest available accounts. Sales for recruitment

firms are the total amount invoiced to clients; media agencies’ sales are net of advertising spend on behalf

of clients.

Excluded companies include technology firms (covered by our sister league table, Tech Track 100), LLPs,

pure property and financial trading companies, and companies with turnover of £500m or greater.

The research was carried out by Fast Track between August and November. The majority of companies

were interviewed by telephone or in person by the Fast Track team.

About Virgin

Virgin is a leading international investment group and one of the world's most recognised and respected

brands. Conceived in 1970 by Sir Richard Branson, the Virgin Group has gone on to grow successful

businesses in sectors including mobile telephony, travel & transportation, financial services, leisure &

entertainment and health & wellness.

www.virgin.com

@virgin

About Barclays

Barclays is a main sponsor for a fifth year. Barclays is a major global financial services provider engaged in

personal banking, credit cards, corporate and investment banking and wealth and investment management

with an extensive international presence in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia. Barclays’ purpose is to

help people achieve their ambitions – in the right way. With 325 years of history and expertise in banking,

Barclays moves, lends, invests and protects money for customers and clients worldwide.

www.barclayscorporate.com

www.barclayswealth.com

@BarCorp_News

@barclayswealth

About BDO

BDO is a main sponsor for a second year. BDO provides assurance, tax and advisory services to

organisations across a number of sectors throughout the UK. With the BDO global network present in over

150 countries, we can help businesses realise both their domestic and international growth ambitions. We

pride ourselves on our collaborative approach and our commitment to exceptional client service and are

delighted that BDO has the highest client satisfaction scores among its peers for the third year in a row.*

www.bdo.co.uk

@bdoaccountant

About BGF

BGF is a main sponsor for a third year. BGF is the UK’s most active provider of growth capital for small and

mid-sized companies. BGF initially invests between £2m and £10m into a business in return for a minority

equity stake and provides follow-on funding to support further growth. The companies BGF backs are

privately-owned or listed on AIM. Growth potential is the key criteria. BGF recently expanded its activities by

launching the largest ever venture capital fund - BGF Ventures - dedicated to earlier stage UK technology

companies. The £200m fund is being run by a new, dedicated team.

Appendix 1: The 2015 Fast Track 100 league table

Mobile phone recycler and distributor

High Wycombe 248% 48.9 20 Feb 15

Is rolling out an in-store repairs service with Samsung and network operators

2

Honest Burgers

Burger restaurant operator

Central London 206% *6.9 252 Jan 15

Founders financed their second restaurant in 2012 with a friends-and-family fundraiser

3 Talon Outdoor

Media agency Central London 195% ^8.0 77 Dec 14

Placed outdoor advertising for the latest James Bond movie

4

Heck! Food

Gourmet sausage producer

North Yorkshire 159% *5.7 30 Jul 15 Named after a line in the 1983 movie Risky Business, starring Tom Cruise

5

[3]

Day Webster

Healthcare recruitment consultancy

Northeast London 156% *63.7 144 Mar 15 Has more than 12,000 temporary healthcare staff on its books

6

Carfinance247

Vehicle finance provider

Manchester 148% *9.7 176 Jun 15 Receives on average 35,000 inquiries a month for car finance

7

Athena PTS

Electrical engineering services

Cumbria 126% *5.1 29 Jul 15 Has won business from clients such as EDF, Eon and BAE Systems

8

[7]

G2 Energy

Electrical and civil engineer

Buckinghamshire 122% 32.3 60 Mar 15

Has connected almost 1GW of renewable energy to the National Grid since 2011

9

[18]

Pure Gym

Gym operator Leeds 121% 68.6 229 Dec 14

Olympic cyclist Sir Chris Hoy joined as an investor and adviser in June

10

[2]

The Car Finance Company

Vehicle finance provider

Portsmouth 119% *†53.9 400 Jun 15 Finances nearly 2,000 new customers every month

11

Gtech

Domestic appliance manufacturer

Worcestershire 117% 48.3 65 Nov 14 Has sold more than 22m domestic appliances in 19 countries

12

[5]

Missguided

Online fashion retailer Manchester 115% *87.2 225 Mar 15

Its website carries 8,000 styles and ships 280,000 items a week

13 ESM Power

Electrical engineer Scunthorpe 113% *9.4 28 Apr 15

Has plans to expand overseas into continental Europe and the US

14

[19]

Bill's Restaurants

Restaurant operator Central London 108% *†90.0 2,371 Aug 15

Has recently opened restaurants in Trafford and Bishop's Stortford

15

Crystal Palace Football Club

Football club

South London 107% 90.4 142 Jun 14

Has been promoted to the Premier League more times than any other football club

16

Mobile Phones Direct

Online mobile phone retailer

Berkshire 101% 63.6 56 Mar 15

Sells the latest mobile phone

handsets from manufacturers such as Apple, Samsung, and Sony

17

[21]

Xercise4Less

Gym operator Leeds 99% *21.8 572 Jul 15

Has 34 gyms and plans to have 100 in the UK and continental Europe by the end of 2017

18

[28]

Lily's Kitchen

Pet food manufacturer Northwest London 98% *11.7 33 Mar 15

Its wholesome pet treats include snack bars for dogs containing wheatgrass, spirulina and kale

Rank [2014 rank] Company Activity HQ location Annual sales growth over 3 years Sales £m Staff Year end‡ Comment 19 [1] Anesco Energy efficiency consultancy Reading 96% 160.2 114 Mar 15

Claims to have helped to take more than 275,000 people out of fuel poverty

20

New World Trading Company

Pub and restaurant operator

Cheshire 95% *17.7 347 Mar 15 Offers a record 151 rums at its Smugglers Cove branch in Liverpool

21

[11]

AlphaSights

Business information provider

Central London 94% 31.5 193 Dec 14 Conducts 1,500 projects every month across more than 100 countries

22

[42]

Enra Group

Specialist loan provider Borehamwood 91% †16.2 52 Dec 14

Acquired the bridging lender West One Loans last year

23 Iam-Sold Property auction services provider Newcastle upon Tyne 90% *8.7 57 Oct 14

Two graduates started the business with £10,000 borrowed from family and friends

24

[15]

LSE Retail Group

Online lighting retailer Manchester 89% 10.3 51 Dec 14

Develops more than 1,000 new lighting products every year

25

Lioncourt Homes

Housebuilder and developer

Worcestershire 89% 40.1 35 Mar 15 Expects to sell about 200 homes next year

26

[29]

Supernutrients

Superfood wholesaler Bath 86% *12.5 27 Mar 15

Supplies organic superfoods such as Chia seeds and goji berries to Waitrose

27 Troy Group

Fit-out contractor Suffolk 84% *14.7 13 Aug 15

Has renovated more than 12,000 rooms for Travelodge since 2013

28

MedicsPro

Healthcare recruitment consultancy

Essex 79% *42.0 111 Aug 15

Acquired a new agency in August focusing on supplying GPs and practice nurses nationwide

29

UK Power Solutions

Utility connection services provider

Gloucestershire 78% †17.0 88 Sep 14

Conducted overseas projects last year in the Caribbean, Middle East and Africa

30

[37]

Oak Furniture Land

Furniture retailer Swindon 78% 191.5 880 Sep 14

The founder designs most of the furniture himself

31

[35]

Tangle Teezer

Hair products supplier South London 73% 23.2 22 Mar 15

20 brushes are sold every minute in more than 70 countries

32 [24] Andrew James Kitchen appliance manufacturer Durham 72% *†17.5 90 Jan 15

Provided vacuum pack equipment to Sir Ranulph Fiennes on an Antarctic expedition

33 Butterfly Twists

Footwear designer Central London 71% *5.1 30 Mar 15

Sells its footwear in more than 50 countries, including Japan, the Philippines and Mexico

34

[52]

Loaf

Furniture retailer Central London 71% 22.1 72 Mar 15

A new 8,000 sq ft Battersea Shack has an ice cream parlour and games room

35

[40]

BrewDog

Brewery Aberdeenshire 71% 29.6 277 Dec 14

Once brewed the world’s strongest beer, The End of History, at 55% ABV

36

Designer Habitat

Homeware manufacturer

Manchester 71% *†21.4 90 Jun 15

Mark Januszewski started the business with a £120 loan from his brother

Rank [2014 rank] Company Activity HQ location Annual sales growth over 3 years Sales £m Staff Year end‡ Comment 37 PJA Distribution Mobile phone accessories distributor

Stockton-On-Tees 71% *7.3 68 May 15 Stocks gadgets such as selfie sticks alongside mobile phone accessories

38

[34]

Southampton Football Club

Football club

Southampton 71% 113.7 302 Jun 15 Former Saint, Charles Miller, introduced football to Brazil in 1894

39 BTL Property Residential construction contractor Southwest London 70% *7.6 22 Apr 15

Employs former military officers to challenge the disorganised small-builder stereotype

40 Cult Wines

Wine merchant

Southwest

London 70% *17.2 16 Aug 15

Has more than 1,600 clients in 55 countries worldwide

41 CTruk Group

Offshore wind services Essex 69% 31.7 134 Sep 14

Secured £1m funding through the government’s Regional Growth Fund in February

42 Giggling Squid

Restaurant operator Guildford 68% 7.7 300 Mar 15

Secured a £6.4m investment from BGF last month

43

[32]

Ventia

Serviced office provider Central London 68% *9.3 42 Apr 15

Opened 7,000 sq ft of office space in Wimbledon's Old Town hall in May

44 [51] Engage Partners Recruitment consultancy Watford 67% 28.1 102 Dec 14

Matches teachers from around the world with more than 1,000 UK schools

45 Pure Made For You

Healthy food chain Central London 65% *7.8 160 Dec 14

Has 20 bicycles to deliver its

seasonal, healthy food across London

46 Vardags

Family law firm Central London 63% *6.5 48 Mar 15

Founder Ayesha Vardag is known as "the diva of divorce"

47 Natoora

Fresh produce supplier Southeast London 62% *11.4 121 Dec 14

Supplies more than 100 tons of fresh fruit and vegetables each week

48 MCCGLC

Creative design agency Central London 62% 8.9 35 Sep 14

Generates 97% of its sales abroad, including trade shows in Barcelona, Berlin and Las Vegas

49 [31] LION Trackhire Temporary roadway provider Nottinghamshire 62% *15.4 132 Mar 15

Recently provided Irish National Ploughing Championships with 24km of roadway

50 instantprint

Online printer Rotherham 62% 14.4 149 Apr 15

Won a Guinness world record for the largest business card ever produced, at 3.41 sq m 51 Rise Technical Recruitment Recruitment consultancy

Bristol 62% *9.1 73 Jun 15 Has 290,000 engineers on its database

52 Readie Construction

Construction contractor Romford 62% *51.6 41 Mar 15

Is constructing 1.5m sq ft of

warehousing across the Midlands and southeast England 53 Opus Recruitment Solutions IT recruitment consultancy Bristol 62% *25.0 60 Dec 14

Opened offices in Sydney last year and in Amsterdam and New York this year

54 CRUISE.co.uk

Cruise travel agent Worcestershire 61% 30.1 140 Nov 14

Encourages its travel consultants to develop their own following on social media

Rank [2014 rank] Company Activity HQ location Annual sales growth over 3 years Sales £m Staff Year end‡ Comment 55 [12] Spencer Ogden Recruitment consultancy

West London 60% 76.8 388 Dec 14

Has placed more than 10,000 candidates in energy jobs since founding

56

Pacific Produce

Fruit and vegetable importer

Oxfordshire 60% 31.0 10 Nov 14

Distributes fruit and vegetables grown in Latin America to European

customers 57 Your World Recruitment Group Healthcare recruitment consultancy

Central London 59% 66.8 120 Dec 14 Provides 87% of the staff it sources to the NHS

58

Panther Warehousing

Logistics services provider

Northampton 59% 20.1 150 Dec 14 Chairman Wilson Barrett started the business in his spare bedroom

59

Cennox

ATM maintenance services

Surrey 59% †24.2 386 Dec 14 Services cash machines in every American state except Hawaii

60

Liquid Personnel

Recruitment consultancy

Manchester 58% 52.8 78 Mar 15 Co-founder sold his car to raise the money to start the business

61

Genpower

Power equipment distributor

Pembrokeshire 58% *5.5 42 Mar 15

Expanded overseas to supply markets in Mozambique, Zambia and Botswana this year

62

Welch & Tidy

Household goods wholesaler

West London 58% 26.9 48 Dec 14 Featured in a challenge on BBC's The Apprentice in 2011

63

4most

Credit risk analytics consultancy

Central London 58% *5.0 50 Sep 15 Plans to launch overseas within the next 12 months

64

Energy Light Bulbs

Lighting products supplier

West London 58% *5.3 14 Mar 15 Has sold about 15m energy-saving light bulbs since 2010

65 [33] Grenade Sports nutrition developer Coventry 57% *8.4 16 Aug 15

Signs up record holders and endurance athletes to promote its sports nutrition products

66

[59]

Ed's Easy Diner

Restaurant operator Central London 57% *36.5 980 Sep 15

Has plans to expand its chain to well over 100 diners across the UK

67

Vegware

Recyclable packaging manufacturer

Edinburgh 57% *9.8 41 Jan 15

Its Food Waste Network matches UK businesses with local food waste recycling services 68 Pet Brands Pet accessory manufacturer Wakefield 56% *7.2 29 Jan 15

Sells pet products — from dog shampoo to bird feeders — in 54 countries

69 T.O.M. Vehicle Rental

Rental vehicle provider North Lanarkshire 55% 143.2 491 Mar 15

Plans to expand its rental fleet to 15,000 vehicles by 2018 70 Acrobat Carbon Services Energy efficiency consultancy

Manchester 55% 22.0 69 Dec 14 Claims to have helped more than 2m homes to save energy

71

Prospero Group

Recruitment consultancy

Central London 54% 16.9 77 Jun 15

Runs school workshops with sports celebrities such as Gareth Thomas and Non Evans

72

Hallam Medical

Medical recruitment consultancy

Sheffield 54% *20.4 54 Apr 15

Supplies staff to more than 1,000 primary care centres throughout the UK

Rank [2014 rank] Company Activity HQ location Annual sales growth over 3 years Sales £m Staff Year end‡ Comment 73 McGinley Human Resources Recruitment consultancy

Watford 52% 50.5 63 Dec 14 Provides more than 1,000 contract pilots in 40 European countries

74

[53]

BEAR & Urban Fruit

Fruit snack manufacturer

Central London 52% *22.6 35 Oct 15 Has provided 325m five-a-day portions to children in the UK

75 [36] Miers Construction Products Construction products supplier

Cambridgeshire 51% *15.6 45 Sep 15 Signed a UK distribution deal this year for a new waterstop system

76

[85]

Abra Wholesale

Consumer products wholesaler

North London 51% *49.6 68 Mar 15

Opened a second warehouse in Luton in the summer, adding 50,000 sq ft of floor space

77

[80]

Childrensalon

Childrenswear retailer Tunbridge Wells 50% 28.2 124 Dec 14

Stocks children’s clothes from 270 brands, including Dior, Gucci and Burberry

78 ACT Training

Training provider Cardiff 50% 29.0 305 Jul 14

Employs a Head of Happiness to ensure staff enjoy their work

79

[75]

Golden Charter

Funeral plan provider Glasgow 50% 37.8 384 Mar 15

Works on behalf of more than 3,300 independent funeral directors throughout the UK

80

SCM World

Community learning provider

Central London 49% *6.2 40 Dec 14

Offers learning programmes to supply chain professionals from the likes of Samsung

81

Masthaven Finance

Specialist mortgage provider

Central London 49% 10.3 35 May 15 Gives every member of staff a day off work for their birthday

82

Aspin Group

Civil engineering contractor

Hertfordshire 49% *38.5 225 Jul 15 Has worked on projects for Network Rail and Balfour Beatty

83

Transline

Recruitment consultancy

West Yorkshire 49% 178.6 244 Dec 14

Has more than 120 sites in Britain and operates as far afield as Thailand and Canada 84 [56] Huntswood Customer services provider Reading 49% 250.1 1,379 Sep 14

Handles customer complaints for banks, pension firms and insurance companies

85 The Key

School support provider Central London 48% *6.9 100 Aug 15

Says it works with 45% of schools in England

86

[25]

Graze.com

Online food retailer Surrey 48% *68.1 218 Feb 15

Has developed more than 1,000 snack recipes since launching in 2007

87 Showcase Interiors

Furniture dealer Essex 47% *14.8 24 Mar 15

Has installed 70,000 pieces of furniture for clients in the past two years

88

Phastar

Statistical and medical consultancy

South London 47% *5.1 73 Jul 15 Expanded into the American market this year 89 [69] Kinapse Pharmaceutical regulations consultancy Southwest London 47% 20.8 337 Mar 15

Nine of the world's top ten pharmaceutical companies use its services

90 Byron

Restaurant operator Central London 47% 55.2 1,118 Jun 14

Sold its 18 millionth hamburger in October

Rank [2014 rank] Company Activity HQ location Annual sales growth over 3 years Sales £m Staff Year end‡ Comment 91 Toppesfield Specialist surfacing contractor Ipswich 46% *75.1 114 May 15

Recent projects include surfacing work on the A5 M1 link road, valued at about £10m

92

[66]

Mint Velvet

Ladies' clothing retailer High Wycombe 45% 63.1 519 Apr 15

Is opening its fifth overseas store, in Switzerland

93

Wholebake

Gluten-free snacks manufacturer

North Wales 45% *16.2 111 Mar 15

Its 9BAR energy bars are fronted by British Olympic gold medallist cyclist Ed Clancy

94

[74]

Rapha

Cycling apparel maker and retailer

North London 44% 38.8 223 Feb 15

Has diversified into Rapha Cycle Clubs, a meeting place for cyclists, a retail space and a café

95

Northvale Construction

Construction contractor

Northwest London 44% *6.5 14 Mar 15 Has completed projects for Legal & General, Foxtons and Galliford Try

96 High Street TV

TV shopping channel Harrogate 44% 46.4 103 Dec 14

Is the UK distributor for Nutribullet blenders, Xhose expandable hoses and Stompeez slippers

97 Aspens Services

Contract caterer Worcestershire 44% 11.9 639 Apr 15

Sources all perishable ingredients within a 20-mile radius of schools

98 [92] Nurture Landscapes Landscape maintenance Surrey 44% 16.7 301 Mar 15

Acquired Integritas Landscapes from Securitas UK for an undisclosed sum last month

99

Watchfinder

Pre-owned watch retailer

Kent 43% *38.7 104 Mar 15 Its average vintage watch costs about £4,000

100

Redeem

Electronic devices recycler

West Lothian 42% 80.0 288 Mar 15 Runs the O2 Recycle scheme, the largest of its kind in Europe

‡ Financial year end of latest available accounts * Supplied by company † Annualised figure

Appendix 2: The Fast Track “Ones to Watch”

Ping pong & bar venue Central London *6.5 200 Sep 15

Backed by high-profile investors including Zoopla founder Alex Chesterman, it forecasts sales will double to £13.7m next year, when it plans to open in the US

Briggs Automotive Company

Sports car manufacturer

Liverpool *2.4 15 Jun 15

Built 21 supercars this year after raising finance from international investors, and plans to produce 50 next year, with sales forecast to triple to £7.5m

BULK POWDERS

Sports nutrition brand Colchester 10.7 100 Dec 14

Originally an import business, it has brought manufacturing in-house and now exports to 12 countries, helping sales double over two years to £10.7m last year

Craggs Energy

Fuel distributor West Yorkshire 20.7 28 Dec 14

This family firm will supply 50m litres of oil this year and says it has introduced online ordering and price transparency to a traditional industry

Five Guys

Burger restaurant chain West London *23.8 445 Dec 14

Has opened 40 restaurants in two years, with investment from Carphone Warehouse founder Sir Charles Dunstone, and has plans for a further 34 next year

Genius

Gluten-free food manufacturer

Edinburgh 42.0 452 Jan 15

Acquired two bakeries for £21m in 2013 and pie maker Chapel Foods for £3.5m last month, and is targeting £65m sales next year as it expands on the Continent

Lintbells

Pet nutritional supplements maker

Hertfordshire *4.6 24 Dec 14

Partners with UK universities to develop its pet supplements, which are sold in 15 countries. Sales are forecast to grow 56% to £7.2m this year

ME+EM

Fashion retailer Central London 4.1 27 Feb 15

Founded in 2009, this favourite of the Duchess of Cambridge secured funding in August from backers including Sir Charles Dunstone

Red's True Barbecue

Barbecue restaurant chain Leeds *7.1 304 Mar 15

Secured £5m funding in May from investors including former Wagamama chairman Ian Neill, and plans to expand from six restaurants to 20 over four years

The Knowledge Academy

Training provider Bracknell *16.6 126 Mar 15

Run by a husband and wife team, it offers more than 50,000 courses in 200 countries to customers such as BAE Systems and Disney