Leading audit, accounting, tax, and advisory firm Bishop Fleming is to merge a Gloucestershire practice into its business as part of an ambitious strategy to double its size over the next few years.
Bishop Fleming will be integrating the business of Bespoke Tax Accountants, adding its Cheltenham base to its offices in Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth, Torquay, Truro, and Worcester.
The move, which was effective from 7 October, comes on the back of impressive financial results posted by Bishop Fleming in 2021-2022, which saw fees grow by nearly 19%, and considerable growth by its Bristol and Worcester operations. In September, it was ranked fifth in the UK in the Accountancy Age Mid-Tier Power Index.
Bishop Fleming’s Manager Partner Andrew Sandiford commenting on the move said: “It has been a long-term strategic ambition to strengthen our footprint between our Bristol and Worcester offices, not only as a platform for further growth, but now also to meet the economic challenges that lie ahead. Integrating Bespoke as our new Cheltenham office, provides the perfect foundation to support and grow our clients in the Three Counties of Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, and Worcestershire.”
Cheltenham-based Bespoke is a specialist provider of tax advice, accounting compliance, and planning, for both business and individuals.
Neil Denniss, a founding partner of Bespoke said: “We started our business in 2011 with just five people. Eleven years on and our business has grown ten-fold. We have been looking towards future succession and have been seeking the right partner to take our business on the next stage of its journey.
With our shared focus on owner-managed businesses and individuals, there is real synergy between us. Bishop Fleming will secure the future of our business and our people, whilst also introducing our clients to an enhanced range of services at a time when they need support the most. We look forward to joining their fantastic team.”
Following record recruitment in 2022, including over 60 new apprentices who joined in September, the additional headcount from Bespoke will take Bishop Fleming’s headcount to over 480 people. Alongside Bishop Fleming’s Worcester office, which has just been refurbished, the two offices will create a team of nearly 100 people across the Three Counties with plans to increase this further.
Andrew added: “We look forward to welcoming the Bespoke team into our business and we are excited for the opportunities this move will bring. But we won’t be standing still. We will be immediately recruiting more roles from partner to apprentice, including in Cheltenham, and we encourage any interested people to contact us to find out more about our exciting plans.”
Bishop Fleming is currently one of the largest independent accounting and advisory firms in the UK with 37 partners. It was recently ranked 14th in the UK’s Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers rankings and was awarded the Investing in People award at the Accounting Excellence Awards in September.
