The company, which emerged from the Eat to the Beat company created by managing director Tony Laurenson more than 32 years ago, reported 67.9% compound annual growth and a turnover of £17.9 million.
Following GIG was Mellors Catering Service with a growth rate of 47.1% and annual turnover of £19.2 million, and Company of Cooks in third place with growth of 40.2% and turnover of £32.4 million.
The list, which was compiled by AlixPartners and EP, has seen last years number one, Mount Charles Group, fall out of the top 20 entirely, and only two companies that featured in last year’s top 10 remain there for 2016.
Tom Cox, director of AlixPartners, added: “The independent foodservice sector has continued to thrive in our latest review, which primarily considers trading activity during 2015 and early 2016.
“It will be interesting to see how operators manage the impact of the national living wage from April 2016, alongside the management of wider food cost pressures which could impact margins in the next 12 months when we review performance in 2017.”
Completing the top five are Cucina in fourth place, with CAGR of 35.2% and turnover of £10.9m; and Catering Academy, which is up 12 places to fifth, with annual growth of 33.3% and turnover of £33.1m.
Three companies - Harbour & Jones, Wilson Vale and WSH - have placed in all four reports compiled by AlixPartners and EP. The education presence in the list has grown from 25% in 2014 to 35% in 2016.
Chris Shepperdson, managing director of EP Business in Hospitality, said: “It is quite remarkable how each year the index shifts and evolves in composition but it is far to say that the whole market is consistently being challenged to change and invest in overall service offerings.
“The old traditional barriers between sectors are breaking down and players crossing from one sector into another. In the last year, WSH joined forces with HIX Restaurants through a joint venture which marks an exciting move into the restaurant arena.”
The full list can be viewed below, and the full report by clicking here.
