2 The Sunday Times December 2, 2018

FAST TRACK 100

understanding of the sector and have enjoyed working with people who know what they are doing.”

Yet behind the confidence,the issue of access to skills is frequently raised by Barclays clients during our conversations about Brexit.

everywhere and so we offer something customers love but can’t easily get down the road. We’ve also been very cautious not to get carried away and pay silly rents.”

He added: “We’ve been impressed by Barclays’ leisure specialists’ deep

operate 50 restaurants shows that good ideas do scale, even as the casual dining industry suffers from a series of high-profile setbacks.

“We’ve bucked the trendas we are offering something different,” said Andy. “Great Thai food is not to be found

Diversity is at the heart of this year’s Fast Track 100. Entrepreneurs from widely different backgrounds are succeeding across sectors and industries. With 16 companies in the north of England, 12 in the Midlands and every corner of the country represented, there is a healthy geographic spread.

Speak with them and youfind that, despite outward differences, the founders and chief executives of Britain’s fastest-growing private companies share certain

TONYWALSHBarclays

Got a great idea and fire in your belly? You’re not alonecharacteristics. They are tenacious, creative and, above all, resilient. While Westminster is focused on Brexit, they are getting on with business.

Many live with uncertaintyas a fact of life. Brexit doesn’t faze a man like Ali Shah, for instance. The founder and chief executive of TravelUp (No 37) spoke no English when he arrived in the UK from Pakistan 14 years ago and set up a Teletext-based holiday booking platform.He saw the rise of Google early and had no hesitation about going online, investing heavily in ebooking software.

The gambit paid off and now, despite running a business with sales of £77m, Shah still has a fire in his belly. TravelUp has acquired a number of domestic rivalswhile growing internationally.

His advice for entrepreneurs considering dipping their toes overseas but fearful of the Brexit chill? “Carry out due diligence on your proposed markets and ensure that the barriers to

entry will not increase the pressure on your established business. The last thing you want to do is lose any home-ground advantage,” he said.

“But don’t get daunted bythe fury of opposing winds — these blow only to make you soar higher. Challenges are in fact opportunities; times of uncertainty provide clarity.”

Made in Britain is still a strong brand and we remain, fundamentally, a nation of exporters. For medium-sized firms considering taking the leap into uncharted waters Barclays brings deep sector expertise, helping companies avoid pitfalls and ensure their success depends on strategy, not luck.

The UK also importsideas, as demonstrated by the impressive success of Giggling Squid (No 99). The Surrey-based Thai restaurant chain, founded by Andyand Pranee Laurillard, has worked with Barclays as it has expanded rapidly across the country, with 30 sites turning over £23.7m this year. The founders’ plan to

that we are on the right path. But more must be done. We need the public and private sectors to work together for the good of not only the north of England, but every part of the UK. This means investment in infrastructure, from transport links to spaces where entrepreneurs can test their ideas, such as Barclays’ Eagle Labs, which puts them together with business angels and digital experts. We opened our latest lab, a 12,000-sq-ft office in the centre of Manchester, in October.

With the right support, companies such as TravelUp, Giggling Squid and Pure Retirement can fulfil their potential. All of this year’s Fast Track 100 companies have shown a willingness to take risks and an ethic of hard work that is to be admired. I congratulate them on their success and for having the courage of their convictions.

Tony Walsh is head ofmid-corporate at Barclays

The Fast Track 100founders are a diverse bunch, but what unites them is talent, courage and ambition

They often feel that not enough is being done to nurture homegrown talent.

Barclays launched the LifeSkills programme in2013 and so far more than 6.7m young people have participated, preparingthem for entry into the workforce. Meanwhile, our Connect with Work initiative has helped thousands of people into jobs, including posts with Barclays clients and suppliers.

It is important to connectentrepreneurs and help them collaborate as well as compete. This is the idea behind the Northern Powerhouse, a concept that is now well established and that Barclays plays a leading role in. We employ 12,000 people in this part of England and have pledged £500m of lending to help small and medium-sized enterprises in the north invest in new technology and grow their businesses.

The success of Leeds-based Pure Retirement(No 34) and others shows

The ‘Thai tapas’ chain Giggling Squid (No 99) has expanded rapidly and now has 30 sites

The Sunday Times Virgin Atlantic Fast Track 100, published annually since 1997, is the definitive league table of Britain’s private companies with the fastest-growing sales. It excludes technology firms, which are featured in our Tech Track 100 sister table.

Criteria Companies have to be registered in the UK and be independent, unquoted and ultimate holding companies. Sales growth is measured by compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the latest three financial years. Annualised sales have to exceed £250,000 in the base year and not show a drop from the penultimate to the latest year, in which total sales have to exceed £5m. Firms have to have 10 or more employees and be making an operating profitof at least £500,000 in their latest available accounts.

Recruitment firms must show gross profits of at least £5m in their latest accounts and their sales represent the gross sum invoiced to clients.

Companies that do not meet the criteria are considered for our Ones to Watch programme (page 9).

For detailed qualificationcriteria, see fasttrack.co.uk.

Exclusions Excluded companies include pure property developers, financial trading companies, LLPsand firms with turnover of £500m or more.

Data collection Sources used include Bureau van Dijk’s Fame, Companies House, Experian’s MarketIQ and SimilarWeb, with funds raised data from Beauhurst. Some companies are nominatedby themselves or advisers; most are identified through our research. Where accounts are not available at Companies House, we use draft accounts.

Incomplete data Most small firms file abbreviated accounts. For this reason, sales figures for many companies are not available.

Disclaimer The companies in the Fast Track 100 are not endorsed by the sponsors or by Fast Track, nor are they necessarily the best-run companies. The table is based on historical data and information is not necessarily an indicator of current or future performance. Some exceptions were made to the criteria set out above. The compiler’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

Sponsors Fast Track’s sole source of revenue is from sponsors. We would like to welcome back Virgin Atlantic as title sponsor and thank main sponsors Barclays,BDO, BGF, and N+1 Singer.

Nominations for next year are welcome at fasttrack.co.ukor info@fasttrack.co.uk

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

famecompanyinfo.com

BRITAIN’S FASTEST-GROWING PRIVATE COMPANIES

* Supplied by company † Annualised figure The Fast Track 100 research was managed by Verity Krall

Rank 2018

Rank 2017

Company Activity HQ location Yearend

Annual sales rise over

three years

Latest sales £000s

Staff Founded Interesting fact

1 Midwinter Solutions Clinical trials supplier Burton-on-Trent Feb 18 233.29% 61,823 20 2013 Its co-founders worked at Clinigen, which was No 1 on the Fast Track 100 in 2011 before it floated on AIM2 Crep Protect Footwear accessories developer West London Feb 18 190.74% *27,465 29 2012 Sells its footwear protection and cleaning products in 52 countries around the world3 Revolution Beauty Beauty products retailer Kent Dec 17 152.92% 71,788 94 2013 Has a range of cruelty-free beauty and cosmetic products starting at just £14 Missoma Online jewellery brand West London Mar 18 148.26% 5,970 15 2008 Plans to use 3D printing to create crystals for future jewellery collections5 Mission Mars Bar and restaurant operator Manchester Sep 18 147.37% †*27,744 531 2015 Raised £10.2m from BGF in July to fund the expansion of its Rudy's and Schloss hospitality brands6 Warner Edwards Gin distiller Northamptonshire Dec 17 142.58% *6,052 21 2012 Each bottle of its rhubarb gin contains one-third fresh rhubarb juice7 One Retail Group Consumer products retailer Northwest London Dec 17 141.53% *13,970 12 2013 Founder Joshua Stevens started his first business aged 138 1 AerFin Aircraft and spares services Caerphilly Dec 17 140.68% 70,221 87 2010 Has spent more than £100m buying used aircraft, engines and spares worldwide9 AFC Bournemouth Football club Bournemouth Jun 17 138.23% 136,456 575 1890 Achieved a ninth place finish in the Premier League last year, its second season in the top flight10 ISO Spaces Modular buildings designer Truro Sep 18 135.38% *5,575 29 2013 Constructed, fitted and finished 60 apartments made from shipping containers in 24 weeks for Ealing council11 Velocity Outlet Online electronics retailer Cambridge Dec 17 134.32% *13,269 22 2013 Names its speakers after natural landmarks such as Mount Snowdon12 12 Gymshark Online sportswear retailer Solihull Jul 18 127.86% *103,232 202 2012 Its social media pages have a combined following of more than 7m and combined audience of 65m13 7 Cult Beauty Online beauty retailer Central London May 18 125.88% *66,742 108 2008 Has raised £1.8m funding from investors including the founders of Net-a-Porter and Lovefilm14 Ridgepoint Homes Housebuilder and developer High Wycombe Dec 17 124.72% 34,619 21 2006 Is creating 135 family homes adjacent to the Grand Union Canal in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire15 CField Construction Building and civil engineering contractor Central London Dec 17 111.99% 50,009 39 2011 Built Field of Dreams educational centre for adults with Down’s syndrome in Cork16 INSTAsmile Dental veneer retailer Manchester Sep 18 109.45% *5,580 45 2012 Placed side-by-side, the veneers it has made since 2012 would cover roughly four miles17 Mowgli Street Food Indian restaurant chain Liverpool Jul 18 106.05% *8,066 254 2013 Founder Nisha Katona spent 20 years working as a child protection barrister before opening her first restaurant18 Lusso Stone Luxury bathroom retailer Middlesbrough Sep 18 105.41% 7,965 11 2013 Its baths, sinks and showers can be found in high-end hotels such as Claridge’s in Mayfair19 Brewhouse & Kitchen Microbrewery and pub operator North London Sep 17 103.82% †11,424 281 2012 Most expensive own-brand pint is under £6 and 48% of its customers are female20 Oxford Summer Courses Educational course provider Oxford Sep 18 103.80% *8,114 26 2010 Runs courses for overseas students across Cambridge, London, Stanford and Bangalore21 Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Beauty products retailer West London Dec 17 102.11% 100,653 989 2013 Charlotte Tilbury was appointed an MBE at Buckingham Palace last month22 13 Eccleston Homes Housebuilder Warrington Oct 17 99.01% 13,339 26 2011 Founder Kevin Marren sold his previous housebuilding venture to Bovis Homes for £26m23 26 Beat Concepts Bespoke uniform supplier Central London Sep 17 98.36% †*11,388 11 2008 Designed and supplied the eye-catching ultra-reflective jackets worn by Deliveroo riders24 Vaporized Vaping shop chain Edinburgh Dec 17 96.65% 22,677 220 2012 In October it announced plans to open another 200 stores by 2021, bringing its total to over 30025 4 Veezu Taxi hire provider Newport Dec 17 95.62% 25,929 304 2013 Donates 1p to charity for every ride booked through its app26 HalalBooking.com Specialist online travel agency Reading Dec 17 90.01% *10,132 36 2009 More than 80% of its turnover is generated from bookings made by overseas customers27 Corinium Global Intelligence Conference organiser Cirencester May 18 87.35% *5,559 56 2013 All of its 56 employees across five continents work remotely28 Urban Pubs & Bars Pub operator West London Apr 18 85.05% *16,805 241 2014 Co-founders sold their previous venture Realpubs to Greene King for £53m29 3 TFS Healthcare Healthcare recruitment consultancy Central London Mar 18 84.92% 38,621 100 2010 Runs a “Nurse of the Month” feature on its website30 19 Ennismore Hotel developer and operator Central London Dec 17 84.12% 17,382 83 2012 Its portfolio includes six Hoxton-branded hotels, as well as the Gleneagles golf resort in Scotland31 20 Pallet-Track Logistics provider Wolverhampton Jan 18 84.04% 84,656 166 2004 Says it can transport anything that fits on a pallet, including pianos, trees and fridges32 18 Wed2b Wedding dress retailer Milton Keynes Jul 18 81.68% *18,435 418 2009 Its wedding dresses range in price from £99 to £699 33 Clearabee Waste collection services Birmingham Dec 17 77.51% *8,999 146 2012 Purchased 10 acres of native woodland in the Scottish Borders to offset all of its CO2 emissions34 Pure Retirement Specialist mortgage broker Leeds Dec 17 77.17% 21,055 52 2013 Manages more than £600m in lifetime mortgage loans across the UK35 Beavertown Brewery Craft brewery North London Mar 18 77.16% 12,740 74 2011 It is the official craft beer supplier of the new Tottenham Hotspur stadium36 Boxpark Retail leisure developer Brighton Apr 18 75.77% *8,400 48 2010 Grime artist Stormzy launched his 2017 album Gang Signs and Prayer at Boxpark Croydon37 TravelUp Travel agency Berkshire Mar 18 75.34% 77,263 74 2004 Its websites receive 20,000 visits a day, up 65% on last year38 Henley Homes Property developer Southwest London Dec 17 75.23% 36,458 17 1999 The Victorian hospital it is converting in Manchester was once used as the set of a horror film39 23 Flat Iron Steak restaurant chain Central London Aug 17 75.05% 11,715 220 2012 Customers regularly queue for up to two hours to secure a table at its no-reservation restaurants40 Cheevers Howard High-end construction contractor West London Mar 18 73.07% *25,930 95 2013 One of its directors drove to the south of France to personally collect glass panels for a client41 Real Wrap Co. Food-to-go manufacturer Bristol Mar 18 72.64% *7,110 105 2012 Supplied 15,000 sandwiches to 68 world leaders and their entourages at the G8 summit in 201342 32 Tropic Skincare Beauty products manufacturer Croydon Jun 18 72.51% *22,475 120 2011 Founder Susie Ma started selling cosmetic products at Greenwich Market aged 1543 8 Five Guys Burger restaurant chain West London Dec 17 72.38% *121,965 2086 2013 Says customers have more than 250,000 combinations to choose from when they order one of its burgers44 17 Corley + Woolley Fit-out contractor Central London Dec 17 71.79% 25,849 27 2012 Fitted a bespoke oyster-shaped bar in the Rosebery tea rooms at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park45 Braidwater Housebuilder Londonderry Mar 18 71.75% 24,103 46 2011 Growth-capital firm BGF has invested twice in the past three years46 29 Cussins Housebuilder Northumberland Sep 18 70.89% *33,063 88 2001 The Duke of Northumberland owns a 35% stake in the business47 67 Grenade Sports nutrition brand Solihull Dec 17 70.55% *33,820 33 2009 Says its Carb Killa protein bars outsell single Mars bars in UK grocers48 9 CarFinance247 Vehicle finance provider Manchester Jun 18 69.49% *47,456 423 2006 More than £35m of loans are completed every month via its website, it says49 58 Chi Chi London Online fashion retailer Enfield Dec 17 69.20% †*18,407 44 2008 Its designs have been spotted on celebrities such as Love Island presenter Caroline Flack50 46 Character.com Branded clothing retailer Swansea Jul 17 68.84% *12,242 26 2009 Products range from Star Wars stormtrooper backpacks to Peppa Pig dressing gowns51 16 Skinnydip Fashion accessories retailer Northwest London Dec 17 68.70% *15,603 85 2011 Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift and Kylie Jenner have been spotted with its products52 Daisy Green Aussie cafe chain West London Apr 18 66.49% *5,819 175 2012 British pop art icon Sir Peter Blake designed this chain’s floating bar on the Grand Union Canal in London53 Harrison Bathrooms Bathroom distributor West Yorkshire Jun 18 66.48% *13,076 58 2013 Sells 12,000 pieces of bathroom stock per week54 28 Total Management Group Events and travel agency Central London Mar 18 66.39% *12,002 39 2006 Over 20,000 people have attended its 180 events in 50 countries, including celebrities such as Eva Longoria55 52 Easirent Car rental provider Liverpool Nov 17 64.35% *31,171 259 2009 Launched four US branches last year, all located at Florida airports56 ITD Global International courier Manchester Apr 18 63.70% *18,101 39 2004 It is integrated with delivery partners including Hermes, UPS and FedEx57 Xcede Group Specialist recruitment consultancy Central London Dec 17 63.07% *18,640 54 2003 Has placed staff at the likes of Deliveroo, British Gas and Facebook58 59 mac-group Construction and fit-out contractor Co Down Dec 17 62.95% 94,724 83 2002 As a teenager, founder Paul McKenna worked as a joiner for £8 a day59 65 Welland Power Generator manufacturer Lincolnshire Mar 18 59.40% 23,048 28 1950 Its diesel generators power schools, hospitals and police stations in China and Pakistan60 Matchroom Sport Sporting events promoter Essex Jun 18 58.60% *137,200 85 1982 This year its high-profile boxing matches have included Joshua v Povetkin, held at Wembley in September61 Shopper Media Group Marketing agency Central London Sep 17 58.16% 24,362 84 2008 Co-founders started the firm with £1,000 savings62 44 The Office Group Shared workspace provider Central London Dec 17 57.76% 90,091 241 2003 Its 31 flexible office spaces across London have features such as gyms, roof terraces and meditation rooms63 Ventrica Outsourced contact centre operator Southend-on-Sea Oct 17 57.62% 9,448 354 2009 Provides online customer service for Jimmy Choo, New Look and Ugg Australia64 63 Red Arch Automotive component manufacturer Northamptonshire Jul 18 57.12% 14,690 75 2010 It evolved from the engineering arm of early racing car pioneer the Cooper Car Company65 Homeslice Pizza restaurant chain West London Apr 18 56.65% *5,537 145 2012 Co-founders Alan and Mark are the sons of the late Sir Terry Wogan66 Smyle Creative agency Hertford Mar 18 56.27% *26,948 65 2003 Its projects have included the Ryder Cup opening ceremony in 2010, 2014 and 201867 Task Consumer Products Lavatory paper manufacturer Wolverhampton Dec 17 56.16% 29,241 45 2008 Produces 60,000 tons of paper products a year at its 250,000 sq ft factory68 80 Send For Help Lone-worker protection provider Southwest London Mar 18 55.97% 12,803 100 2010 Says it sells the world's smallest personal safety alarm69 57 END. Online menswear retailer Newcastle Mar 18 55.76% 101,051 316 2005 Launched its flagship store in London’s Soho in October70 Sustainable Advantage Energy and waste consultancy Southwest London Apr 18 55.63% 5,762 23 2010 Reduces energy and waste costs for customers such as Pret, Marriott and Transport for London71 62 BrewDog Brewery Aberdeenshire Dec 17 55.59% 111,551 777 2007 Features in Fast Track 100 for a record seventh consecutive year and was valued at £1bn in April 201772 ES Broadcast Broadcast equipment supplier Watford Jun 18 55.10% *21,400 28 2007 Plans to open a US office as part of its North American expansion plans73 51 Staircraft Housing materials manufacturer Warwickshire Dec 17 54.92% 35,867 266 1985 1,500 houses a week are built using Staircraft products74 Highwood Group Construction contractor and developer Hampshire Feb 18 53.62% 37,788 42 2003 Is developing 750 homes at North Stoneham Park in Hampshire75 Elonex Group Advertising space leaser Birmingham Dec 17 51.83% 6,715 39 2006 Its advertising boards on London taxi rooftops deliver 10m impressions every fortnight, it says76 AYMES Nutritional supplement developer Haywards Heath Mar 18 51.63% *6,384 23 2008 Says its entry into the market has saved the NHS £40m77 Prime Global Medical communications agency Cheshire Dec 17 51.61% †*17,163 157 1997 Has offices in Manchester, London, New York, and San Francisco78 Agon Systems Security tagging manufacturer East Sussex Sep 18 50.58% *6,552 19 2007 Its client JD Sports recorded a 66% reduction in shoplifting in stores where its tags are used79 72 Around Noon Food-to-go manufacturer Co Down Dec 17 50.50% *19,246 235 1989 Acquired Slough-based Chef in a Box last year to strengthen its presence in the UK mainland80 Fizz Creations Novelty items wholesaler West Sussex Jan 18 50.39% *14,138 44 2010 Started out as a way to make use of surplus warehouse space at another of the owners’ businesses81 39 naughtone Furniture designer and manufacturer North Yorkshire May 18 50.12% *23,362 40 2005 Its furniture can be found in the offices of Google, Twitter and LinkedIn82 Thakeham Group Housebuilder and construction contractor West Sussex Sep 17 50.12% *47,644 130 2010 Has more than 200 new homes under construction across southeast England83 James and James Ecommerce fulfilment provider Northampton Dec 17 50.07% *8,936 100 2010 The firm is named after co-founders James Hyde and James Strachan84 XL Displays Exhibition equipment retailer Peterborough Sep 17 49.29% *5,475 42 2010 Founder Joanne Bass started the business while on maternity leave after the birth of her first child85 C2events Events agency Wakefield Dec 17 49.07% *6,904 17 2004 Three-quarters of its events take place outside the UK86 77 Third Bridge Research services provider Central London Dec 17 48.56% 71,461 589 2007 Is named after a bridge in Botswana, the last before you reach uncharted territory87 ARB Recycling Charity sector recycler Kent Jun 18 48.47% *8,200 74 2014 Its collection drivers cover the equivalent of four journeys to the moon and back each year88 Anthesis Group Sustainability consultancy Central London Dec 17 48.15% 13,755 201 2013 Claims it helps 26% of FTSE100 meet their climate change goals89 Eakin Specialist printer Co Armagh Dec 17 48.12% 50,896 319 1987 It aquired US licence plate manufacturer John R Wald last year as part of its overseas expansion plans90 73 Vanarama Vehicle leasing broker Hemel Hempstead Dec 17 47.83% 61,014 197 2007 Founder came up with its catchy jingle after hearing the hymn Sing Hosanna at a wedding91 31 Honest Burgers Burger restaurant chain Central London Jan 18 47.76% 22,258 476 2011 Produces 42,000 burger patties a week at its in-house butchers92 5 Plimsoll Productions TV show producer Bristol Aug 18 47.61% *19,458 102 2013 Is producing a Bear Grylls-hosted documentary series Hostile Planet for the National Geographic Channel93 Cinos Audiovisual systems installer Surrey Oct 17 47.37% 10,294 49 2007 Has delivered systems for command and control rooms in Singapore, America, the Middle East and the UK94 TRB Lightweight materials manufacturer Cambridgeshire Dec 17 46.64% 16,637 176 1952 Made the floors used in capsules on the London Eye and the chassis for Heathrow's driverless PODs95 87 Blackrock Expert Services Dispute resolution consultancy Central London Oct 17 46.57% *29,708 84 2009 Consulted on construction disputes involving London’s tallest building, the Shard96 JDX Business consultancy Central London Mar 18 46.48% 34,505 547 2012 Co-founder set up financial consultancy DCG, which he expanded to 450 staff in four years97 93 Ocee International Furniture manufacturer Northampton Jun 18 45.91% 39,648 190 1990 Its furniture can be found in offices and universities across Europe, America, China and Australia98 The Light Cinema chain Central London Jul 18 45.88% *24,926 375 2007 Each of its 10 cinemas sells locally brewed craft beer and its spirits and ice cream are also locally sourced99 60 Giggling Squid Thai restaurant chain Guildford Mar 18 45.77% *23,714 492 2009 Last year it found £20,000 of fine wine stashed in a secret cellar by previous owners of its Windsor site

100 BioPhorum Biopharmaceutical forum organiser Sheffield Dec 17 45.53% *5,181 50 2009 Says more than half its staff have a masters degree, and a quarter have a PhD