LONGLEAT has featured for the first time in a league table of Britain’s fastest growing profit stars.

Published this weekend, the 19th annual Sunday Times BDO Profit Track 100 league table ranks Britain’s private companies with the fastest-growing profits over three years.

Longleat Enterprises, which operates Cheddar Gorge and Caves, and Longleat’s safari park has been recognised and featured in the league table for the first time.

Since appearing on the BBC’s popular Animal Park series, the leisure group has benefitted from an increase in visitor numbers, and profits grew by an average of 55 per cent to £3.5m in 2016.

Andrea Bishop, partner and head of the southwest at BDO, the title sponsor of the league table, said: “These high growth, high energy and highly entrepreneurial companies will be the difference between success and failure in our post Brexit economic future.

“These businesses are playing their part by recording strong levels of revenue and profit growth and by creating jobs.

“We’d like to see the Government do more to help them by focusing on skills, infrastructure investment and tax simplification.”

Bob Montgomery, CEO at Longleat said: “We are delighted that Longleat Enterprises has been recognised in this table.

“This recognition, based on 2016 performance, is the result of focused strategy to improve culture and the customer experience whilst continuing to provide compelling reasons for our guests to visit Longleat.

“Since 2014 Longleat has invested considerably and these results are a consequence of creating an environment in which guests can enjoy our range of attractions and freely engage with animals within a truly unique setting. A key driver of success during this period has also been the annual Festival of Light which has been really well received by our guests and created an increased demand year-on-year.

“Further plans are in place for Longleat to potentially expand further with new attractions, accommodation and other improved facilities, although the business remains cautious of many factors, including economic, which may affect these plans.”

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