Kew Green Hotels placed second in Sunday Times Fast Track 100

Kew Green Hotels, contract caterer Wilson Vale and bar and restaurant group Living Ventures have all made it into the annual Sunday Times Fast Track 100.

Kew Green, which runs hotels under the Courtyard by Marriott brand, was the highest placed hospitality company in the list of the UK’s fastest growing companies in second place.

Starting out by offering business travellers a room and breakfast in six hotels branded Express by Holiday Inn and Days Hotel, Kew signed a deal to lease 11 Courtyard by Marriott hotels in November 2004, following their sale for £80m by Whitbread to a consortium of private investors.

Founded by Welcome Break colleagues Paul Johnson and Jeremy Richardson and backed by Bank of Scotland corporate and property finance company Moorfield Group, sales have soared by 256% a year from £759,000 in 2003 to £34.2m in 2005/2006.

At 15 is northern catering company Wilson Vale, which has seen sales grow by 144% a year from £357,000 in 2002 to £5.2m in 2005/2006.

Wilson Vale joint managing director Andrew Wilson said: “This is a significant measure of success in the evolution of Wilson Vale, to be included in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100.”

Former Catey winning Living Ventures, run by Tim Bacon and Jeremy Roberts, was 88 in the list down from 34 last year. It saw sales of £6.1m mushroom almost 66% to £78.9m in 2005/2006.

Fast Track >>

New Courtyard by Marriott planned at Gatwick airport >>

Foodservice briefing: Wilson Vale >> 

Whitbread sells Courtyard by Marriott chain for £79m >>

By Chris Druce

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