All the businesses included are headquartered in the West Country
The team at Goughs Solicitors which is headquartered in Wiltshire(Image: Goughs)
A South West brewery group, law firm and free range egg producer have been named among the best places to work in the UK. The annual rankings are compiled by the Sunday Times and its research partner – employee experience platform WorkL – and recognise the country’s top employers.
There were 22 South West companies included for 2026, with businesses across a range of industries such as hospitality, technology, legal, financial services and education.
The list – now in its fourth year – highlights the best small, medium, big and very big organisations for workplace culture – from those with hybrid working policies and career development opportunities to unique initiatives that support staff.
Inclusion is determined by an independent survey that covers six aspects of employee engagement, such as wellbeing, empowerment and job satisfaction, and is voted for by a company’s staff.
West Country pub operator and brewer Butcombe was recognised for the second year running. The Wrington-based group – formerly known as Liberation – said its inclusion reflected “the environment we have worked hard to create”.
Jonathan Lawson, chief executive of Butcombe Group, said: “At the heart of our success is the dedication and collaboration shown by our people every day, whether they are welcoming guests, creating memorable moments, or supporting one another behind the scenes.
“In what continues to be a challenging environment for the hospitality sector, their commitment to delivering exceptional experiences for our customers continues to make a real difference.”
Wiltshire-based law firm Goughs Solicitors, which employs some 130 staff across seven offices, was included for the third year in a row.
“We are incredibly proud to receive this recognition from The Sunday Times,” said Matthew Drew, managing partner at Goughs Solicitors. “To be acknowledged consistently in this way is a real reflection of the firm’s culture and the values that guide us.
“As our people are at the centre of everything we do, we strive to creating a workplace where colleagues feel valued, supported, and empowered to achieve their full potential, both professionally and personally.”
Elsewhere, Cheltenham-based business transformation firm Commercial also made the list. The company employs nearly 300 people and generates an annual turnover of around £98m.
Recent employee-focused developments include the refurbishment of its headquarters, with workspaces tailored to support neurodiverse staff. It also has a multi-faith room and dedicated spaces for employees with children or dogs.
Commercial: Back row: Dean Chester, Katie Lund, Jay Colling, Zaneta Rydzewska, Larrisa Castro. Front Row: Guy Ward, Craig Baldwin, Jenny Hodgson (People & Culture Director), Simone Hindmarch (Co-Founder and MD), Craig Tomes, Jordan Thomas(Image: Copyright © 2026 Fred van Leeuwen)
Simone Hindmarch, co-founder and managing director of Commercial, said the recognition was “especially meaningful” because it reflected the culture the business had worked to build over more than three decades.
“This means a huge amount to us because it’s based on what our people think and feel about working at Commercial. Right from the start, we wanted to create a company where people genuinely wanted to come to work, felt connected to the business and each other, and knew their voice mattered,” she said. “To have that recognised in this way is incredibly special.”
In other parts of the South West, Cornwall-based egg producer St Ewe Free Range Eggs also made the list, along with Swindon marketing agency Mole Digital and Exeter construction group Coreus.
Zoe Thomas, editor of The Sunday Times Best Places to Work, added: “In an evolving world of work Britain’s leading employers are helping staff forge careers that count today – and in the future. In turn, the Best Places to Work have the resilience to weather the current economic storms baked in, thanks to engaged workers who go above and beyond with a smile.
“Our winning employers span sizes and sectors – from tiny charities and specialist law firms, to multinational fast-food chains and utility giants, and everywhere in between. The thread joining them is the belief that a happy workforce is a stepping stone to better performance, faster growth, and bigger profits.”
The South West companies on the Sunday Times best places to work list 2026
In alphabetical order…
- Awdry Law, Legal Services, Devizes, Wiltshire
- Butcombe Group, Hospitality, Bristol
- Commercial, Business and Management Services, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
- Compass CHC, Legal Services, Barnstaple, Devon
- Coreus Group, Construction and Building Materials, Exeter
- Family Adventures Group, Education and Research, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset
- Goughs Solicitors, Legal Services, Melksham, Wiltshire
- Hall & Woodhouse, Hospitality, Blandford St Mary, Dorset
- InterWorks, Technology, Christchurch, Dorset
- iplicit, Technology, Bournemouth
- Joint Operations, Health and Social Care, Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire
- Mole Digital, Marketing and Advertising, Swindon
- Oculus Legal Group, Business and Management Services, Bristol
- Paragon Skills, Education and Research, Bournemouth
- Parmenion, Financial Services, Bristol
- Rappor, Construction and Building Materials, Cheltenham
- Shaping Lives, Education and Research, Bournemouth
- St Ewe Free Range Eggs, Manufacturing of Consumer Goods, Truro, Cornwall
- Taxi Studio, Architecture & Design, Bristol
- The Cinnamon Trust, Non-Profit Organisations and Charities, Hayle, Cornwall
- Xpedite, Defence, Bath
- Zestec Renewable Energy, Energy and Utilities, Bournemouth
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