Jeremy Clarkson’s Hawkstone tops list of South West’s fastest-growing companies

The Sunday Times rankings identify Britain’s 100 leading entrepreneurial businesses

A Gloucestershire brewery owned by television star-turned-farmer Jeremy Clarkson has been named the fastest-growing private company in the West Country. Hawkstone topped the Sunday Times 100 regional list after making £44.9m in sales in the year to March – a staggering 128.19 per cent average annual growth in the last three years.

“I know even less about brewing than I do about farming,” said Clarkson, who is the company’s largest shareholder. “But there are plenty of competent people who do and mercifully, some of them work here,” the 66-year-old added of the Hawkstone brand he launched in 2021 with business partner Johnny Hornby, 59.

Led by managing director Owen Jenkins, 45, the brewery now exports beer to 10 European countries, as well as supplying more than 2,000 UK retail outlets and over 4,000 pubs, including Clarkson’s own Cotswolds venue, the Farmer’s Dog.

In second place on the Sunday Times 100, which identifies Britain’s leading entrepreneurial businesses, was Somerset skin care brand Sweet Bee Organics.

The company was established in the kitchen of founder Hollie King in 2018 after the birth of her sons and racked up sales of £23m last year. It has also seen 118.6 per cent growth over three years.

Meanwhile, Cornwall’s St Ewe Free Range Eggs placed third in the South West, with 88 per cent growth over the period and sales of £77.1m for the year. The company was also recently named among the 22 best places in the West of England to work for by the Sunday Times.

The research for the Sunday Times 100 found that on average the top 100 fastest-growing companies have increased their sales by 108 per cent a year over the last three years to a combined £4bn – up by £600m on a year earlier.

In total, the companies employ 13,700 people, having created 8,900 new jobs in the last three years, with almost all of them planning further hires in the next 12 months – equating to around 4,200 additional roles.

“Celebrating five years of The Sunday Times 100 shows the amazing variety of British businesses,” said Jon Yeomans, business editor of The Sunday Times.

“The biggest trend over the last five years is the rise of consumer brands, with food, drink, fashion, and beauty companies now making up nearly half the list.”

Out of the 100 companies featured, 45 are based in London, 14 in the North West, 10 in the South East, eight each in the East of England and the Midlands, five in Yorkshire and the Humber, four in Wales, three in the South West, two in Scotland and one in the North East.

Of the businesses, 33 have female founders, co-founders or chief executives, including Ms King of Sweet Bee Organics.

The youngest companies on the list were founded in 2022, including the top company Goalhanger, beauty brand REHA and construction contractor City Grey.