The shortlist for the British Business Awards 2025, in association with NatWest, has today (Tuesday 18 March) been released with 23 London based companies among the 143 from across the UK now vying for the top spot at the ceremony in Edinburgh on the 24 April 2025.
KPMG UK, Savills, TRIP and Golden Acre Foods (B-Corp based in Surrey) are amongst those that feature in the shortlist and will now go forward as part of the full judging process in the run up to the awards.
More than 300 companies entered the British Business Awards. The shortlisted businesses were chosen by an independent shortlisting panel. Each entry was carefully examined and judged on their positive impact to their workforce, sector and overall contribution to the British economy. The shortlist will now go forward to the main judging panel comprising 18 independent judges, all key figures from British industry including Vinodka Murria OBE, Phil Urban, CEO of Mitchells & Butlers and Emma Crystal, CEO Coutts Bank.
The awards are raising funds for beneficiary homelessness charity Social Bite, with a target of raising £1million through the event and a fundraising lunch happening earlier in the day, being organised with Gleneagles Hotel. The awards dinner will take place at the EICC on 24 April and tables are already in high demand with up to 2000 business leaders set to attend.
Alan Jope CBE, former CEO of Unilever and Chair of the judging panel said: “In spite of the economic headwinds facing British businesses, our incredible shortlist shows that leading British companies are thriving and in turn are powering the economy and job creation through their hard work and resilience. It came across loud and clear from the hundreds of entries we received for the awards that businesses are having to innovate and adapt like never before. It’s been inspirational to see the incredible work that’s going on behind the scenes in companies of all shapes and sizes across the UK.
“The 2025 shortlist reflects the hugely diverse range of businesses we have in this country, and I know our judging panel are going to have some tough decisions on their hands when it comes to determining our winners.”
James Holian, Head of Business Banking and International Retail, NatWest Group said: “It’s
wonderful to see such a high calibre of entries to the British Business Awards. The UK is full
of entrepreneurial, creative and innovative businesses and we’re seeing those at the
forefront of the UK’s economy through this process. Seeing the high level of commercial
excellence across multiple sectors, makes me extremely confident about the future of British
business.”
Josh Littlejohn MBE, Founding Partner and Event Director of the British Business Awards said: “We are so excited to see the event bring together some of the most successful and economically influential people in the UK – to celebrate their success, whilst at the same time raising funds for some of the most vulnerable people in society. Thank you to all of the companies participating in the awards this year.”
Guests at the British Business Awards are being treated to a fireside chat and a rare, unplugged music performance from the iconic musician and activist Sting. The evening will be hosted by comedian, presenter and TV star, Rob Brydon and feature a keynote address from the event’s patron Sir Bob Geldof, who is celebrating the 40th anniversary of Band Aid in 2025.
For further information on the awards or to buy tickets visit: www.britishbusinessawards.co.uk
Full shortlist
CEO of the Year
Greggs
Roisin Currie
Newcastle upon Tyne
The Ivy Collection
Laura Mills
London
Cazenove Capital
Mary-Anne Daly
London
Scottish Power
Keith Anderson
Glasgow
Murgitroyd Group
Gordon Stark
Glasgow
Gilson Gray
Glen Gilson
Edinburgh
Moto
Ken McMeikan
Bedfordshire
Seven Seeded
David Dwek
Hertfordshire
Socially Responsible Business of the Year
Headquarters
Pareto FM
Reading
Andron
Aberdeen
BSW Timber
Berwickshire
Change Waste Recycling
Edinburgh
SHS Group
Belfast, Northern Ireland
George Leslie
Glasgow
Lactalis Uk & Ireland
Redhill, Surrey
Carlowrie Castle
Edinburgh
Financial Services Company of the Year
Hampden & Co
Edinburgh
Vetsure Pet Insurance
Midlands and East
AAB Group
Aberdeen
Lending Crowd
Edinburgh
Together Finance
Cheshire
DMK Finance
Glasgow
Lending Channel
Perth
Simply Asset Finance
London
Retail Business of the Year
Seasalt Cornwall
Cornwall
Moto
Bedfordshire
Chicking
Hamilton
Champo
London
Six Stories
Greater Manchester
Stephens Bakery
Dunfermline
International Business of the Year
Insights Group
Dundee
Forth Capital
Edinburgh/Global
Express Engineering
North East
Virtual Internships
London
Walker’s Shortbread
Aberlour
Samuel Knight International
Newcastle
Levy Global
London
The Big Word
Leeds
Family Business of the Year
Craig & Parsons
London &SE
Whitby Seafoods
Yorkshire
The Parklane Group
Leeds
Murray Capital
Edinburgh
Maguires Country Parks
Durham
Clarke
Ballymena, Northern Ireland
The JR Group
Paisley
Land Pod
Stoke-on-Trent
Growth Strategy of the Year
Dynisma Ltd
South West
The PureGym Group
Leeds
Babcock International
London
Nucleus Financial Platforms Ltd
Salisbury
Merlin Vet
Kelso
RSK
Cheshire
Gap Group (North East Ltd)
North East
Popeyes
London
Business Innovation of the Year
triSaaS
Edinburgh
KPMG UK
London
Sarco Stopper Ltd
Edinburgh
Terumo Aortic
Renfrewshire
Simply Asset Finance
London
UXLI
London
Domin
Bristol
thebigword
Leeds
Customer Satisfaction Award
Scottish Water
Glasgow
Wheatley Group
Glasgow
JW Filshill
Glasgow
Castle Water
Blairgowrie, Perth
KDM Group
Dalgety Bay, Fife
Miller Homes
Edinburgh
MDDUS
Glasgow
LAR Housing Trust
Fife
Technology Company of the Year
HP UK
Reading
Dell Technologies UK
London
iomart Group PLC
Glasgow
M Squared Lasers
Glasgow
Allica Bank
London
Systal Technology Solutions
Glasgow
Recast
Edinburgh
Dynisma
Bristol
Employer of the Year
QTS Group
South Lanarkshire
Savills
London
Mydentist
Manchester
Tullis Russell
Cheshire
Troup Bywaters + Anders LLP
London
Bell Group
Airdrie/London
Morris & Spottiswood
Glasgow
Muckle Media
Edinburgh
Green Business of the Year
Robertson Construction Group
Stirling
Zenobe Energy Ltd
London & SE
The Weir Group
Glasgow
Forth Ports
Edinburgh
The Pallet Loop
Wymondham
The Quiet Site
Penrith
EICC
Edinburgh
Zest
Leeds
B Corp of the Year
IT Naturally Limited
Midlands & East
Bruichladdich Distillery
Glasgow and Islay
Vegware
Edinburgh
Golden Acre Foods
Surrey
Sykes Cottages, part of the Forge Holiday Group
Chester
Useful Simple Trust
London
Zest
Leeds
The FSC Group
Somerset
SME of the Year
Bombay Halwa Limited
London and SE
TRIP
London
Join Talent
Brechin, Scotland
Erudus
Newcastle
Wallace DS Limited
Stirling
Woodland Furniture Group
Ballymena, Northen Ireland
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
Edinburgh
The TEFL Org
Inverness
Large Business of the Year
Highland Spring
Perthshire
Clark Contracts
Paisley
BaxterStorey
Reading
GAP Holdings Limited
Glasgow
Everflow
North East
Winn Group
Newcastle
Newable
London
Morris & Spottiswood
Glasgow
Legal Firm of the Year
CMS
UK wide
Anderson Strathern
Edinburgh
Morton Fraser Macroberts
Edinburgh
Addleshaw Goddard
London
Brodies LLP
UK wide
Shepherd and Wedderburn
Edinburgh
HAB Law
London
Blackadder LLP
Dundee
Entrepreneur of the Year
RSK
Alan Ryder
Stellar Omada
Colin Frame
47 Skin
Nic Taylor
John Clark Group
Chris Clark
Join Talent
Katrina Hutchison O’Neill
de Novo Solutions
Mark Sweeny
Elite Dynamics UK Ltd
Jamaine Campbell
Six Stories
Ross & Lucy Menghini
Female Business Leader of the Year
J&B Recycling
Vikki Jackson-Smith
Learning Curve Group
Brenda McLeish OBE
PG Paper
Dr Poonam Gupta O.B.E
Rothschild & Co
Helen Watson
Martin Currie
Jen Mair
Thorntons
Lesley Larg
Cocopup
Charlotte Stagg + Jessica Lancaster
Little’s
Heather Matthews
