The Welbeck estate, which cuts across 15,000 acres of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, has been identified in London Stock Exchange Group’s ‘1000 Companies to Inspire Britain’ report.
As a report on the UK’s fastest-growing and most dynamic small and medium sized businesses across the UK companies needed to show consistent revenue growth over a minimum of three years, significantly outperforming their industry peers.
(Van Dyck’s painting of a young Charles II in armour, images from the Portland Collection on the Welbeck estate )
Historically, the Welbeck estate was a traditional landed estate business that carried out activities such as farming, forestry and the letting of residential and commercial property but in recent years it has been undergoing a transformation.
“We are now part of the way through a 20-year project to reinvigorate the heart of the estate and bring together rural and creative industries, education and the arts,” says William Parente, Principal of the Welbeck Estates Company. “As part of this, we welcome visitors who come to enjoy great food, art and shopping within a beautiful rural setting.”
Attractions at the estate include the Welbeck Farm Shop – which sells game, cheese, bread and beer from the Welbeck estate and other local producers – and The Harley Gallery, which shows contemporary art exhibitions as well as the internationally significant Portland Collection of fine and decorative art. Another draw for more discerning palates is the School of Artisan Food, which runs food courses ranging from half-day ‘taster’ sessions to a year-long diploma in artisan baking – the first of its kind in the UK.
The Welbeck Estates Company’s continued investment in a wide and diverse range of property assets and businesses have been a major factor in its continued growth as has its ongoing commitment to embracing change. “The business needs to constantly explore technological and managerial change and innovation. This is obviously both a challenge and an opportunity, which runs right through the organisation” adds William Parente.
In particular, the project focuses on the unique opportunity provided by the departure of the Ministry of Defence from the historic centre of the estate in 2005 to enable the redevelopment of a substantial area of previously underused buildings and assets.
Xavier Rolet, Chief Executive, London Stock Exchange Group said: “Four years on, LSEG’s ‘1000 Companies to Inspire Britain’ report continues to highlight the dynamic, entrepreneurial and ambitious businesses across the country that are boosting UK productivity, driving economic growth and creating jobs.
“The strength and diversity of these companies is readily apparent with a broad mix of UK regions and sectors represented. These companies are the very heart of an ‘anti-fragile’ economy: more robust; more flexible and less prone to boom and bust. We must ensure we continue doing all we can to support high growth potential businesses like these.”
The Rt Hon Greg Clark, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: “I want to congratulate the 1000 companies from across the UK featured in London Stock Exchange Group’s pioneering 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain report. Championing high growth innovative SMEs is crucial for the continued success of the UK economy and a country that works for everyone. We are committed to ensuring that companies of all sizes can access finance to grow, scale-up and create high quality well-paid jobs across the country.”
A full searchable database of all of the companies along with a downloadable pdf of the publication and more detail on the methodology can be found in the report online at www.1000companies.com.
