Charles Wells soars in list of top private companies
Bedford-based brewery and pub operator Charles Wells climbed 27 places in the Sunday Times HSBC Top Track 250 league table.
The parent company to Bedford-based Wells and Young's Brewing Company and Charles Wells Pub Company secured position 150 by generating a turnover of over £220m.
The company has risen a total of 60 places in the definitive list of mid-market private companies since 2007.
The company was praised by league table sponsor HSBC for its export programme, which has seen the company transfer the British pub experience abroad with an aim to build an estate of 13 French pubs by 2013, whilst also supporting British employment.
Chief executive of Charles Wells, Paul Wells said: "We are operating in an extremely challenging environment, however we are a fiercely independent company and therefore take a long-term approach to our business by recognising the key areas for growth.
"As the UK's largest private brewer and pub operator, we are pleased to be recognised on this highly regarded list of the best performing mid-market private companies. This is good news for Bedford, and we are extremely proud to call Bedford our hometown."
The brewer and pub operator has recently expanded its number of pubs, buying 31 new pubs, and launching a number of exciting initiatives in the cask beer market, such as a revolutionary Bombardier font which the company predicts will widen the appeal of cask beer.
The company, which has been based in Bedford for over 100 years brews over half a million barrels of beer every year, which includes Young's and Courage beers. The brewer also brews Red Stripe Jamaican lager beer, and is the UK importer of the world's fifth largest beer brand, Corona Extra.
The Sunday Times HSBC Top Track 250 league table ranks Britain's biggest mid-market private companies by latest sales.
It complements The Sunday Times Top Track 100 league table of Britain's biggest private companies, and lists the next 101 to 350 biggest firms. Companies are ranked by sales reported in their latest accounts. Sales must not exceed £500m, which is the size of the 100th-ranked company on the Top Track 100.
