Ella’s Kitchen and Pact Coffee among UK’s “best small companies to work for”

The Sunday Times has revealed the names of the country’s 100 “best small companies to work for” in its annual 2016 index, with fast-growth businesses Ella’s Kitchen and Pact Coffee among those ranked for staff satisfaction.

UK insurance provider Simply Business, headline sponsor of the Startups Awards, has been ranked at the top spot for having created “workplace environments that employees are proud to be part of”.

Running since 2001, The Sunday Times index uses criteria such as office culture, staff benefits and employee well-being to gauge the quality of workplace engagement.

The 2016 index features organic children’s food business Ella’s Kitchen, a former Startups Awards winner, at number 26. Founded in 2006 by Paul Lindley (pictured), the business has grown to take a 20% share of the UK baby food market and has achieved global sales with stockists in the UK, US, Norway, and Sweden.

Startups 100-listed Pact Coffee was ranked at number 84 in the list. Since launch in 2012, the coffee subscription start-up has raised over £2m investment and recently boasted 20% month-on-month growth.

Young Gun-founded peer-to-peer lender Funding Circle also features among the 100 top companies to work for, alongside domestic care franchise Home Instead.

The Sunday Times 100 “Best Companies to Work For” 2016 were revealed at an awards ceremony last night; the full list of names are set to be published online this weekend.