Jeremy Clarkson’s Hawkstone brewery has been named the fastest-growing private company in the South West, topping the Sunday Times 100 regional list. The Gloucestershire-based brewery achieved £44.9 million in sales for the year ending March, representing an average annual growth of 128.19 percent over three years.
Clarkson’s Surprise Success
Clarkson, who became a farmer through his television show, admitted his limited brewing knowledge. “I know even less about brewing than I do about farming,” he said. “But there are plenty of competent people who do and mercifully, some of them work here.” The 66-year-old launched Hawkstone in 2021 with business partner Johnny Hornby, 59, and remains the largest shareholder.
The brewery, led by managing director Owen Jenkins, 45, now exports beer to ten European countries and supplies over 2,000 UK retail outlets and more than 4,000 pubs, including Clarkson’s own Cotswolds pub, the Farmer’s Dog.
Other Top Performers
Second place went to Somerset-based Sweet Bee Organics, a skincare brand founded by Hollie King in 2018. The company achieved £23 million in sales last year with 118.6 percent growth over three years. Third was Cornwall’s St Ewe Free Range Eggs, which recorded 88 percent growth and £77.1 million in sales, and was also named one of the best places to work in the West of England by the Sunday Times.
Regional and National Trends
The Sunday Times 100 research found that the top 100 fastest-growing companies increased sales by an average of 108 percent annually over three years, reaching a combined £4 billion—up £600 million from the previous year. These companies employ 13,700 people, having created 8,900 new jobs in three years, with most planning further hires, equating to around 4,200 additional roles.
Jon Yeomans, business editor of The Sunday Times, said: “Celebrating five years of The Sunday Times 100 shows the amazing variety of British businesses. 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.”
Geographically, 45 of the 100 companies 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 Sweet Bee Organics’ Hollie King.
