Biggest companies in South East 2026
- Companies
- 9,323
- Total revenue
- £908.59bn
- Total jobs
- 3,185,727
Biggest companies in South East by revenue 2026
Top filers by latest reported turnover
| # | Company | Revenue | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | TESCO PLC LSE-listed multinational grocery retailer | £72.89bn | 310,022 |
| 02 | TESCO STORES LIMITED Principal UK supermarket operating subsidiary | £50.84bn | 249,663 |
| 03 | VODAFONE GROUP PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY group accounts Multinational telecommunications group | £32.03bn | 92,834 |
| 04 | CENTRICA PLC registered office Multinational energy and services group | £21.57bn | 22,066 |
| 05 | BRITISH GAS TRADING LIMITED registered office | £14.52bn | 6,970 |
| 06 | VOLKSWAGEN GROUP UNITED KINGDOM LIMITED group accounts UK automotive importer and distributor | £12.84bn | 1,002 |
| 07 | MICROSOFT LIMITED UK technology and software subsidiary | £10.86bn | 5,023 |
| 08 | ESSO PETROLEUM COMPANY,LIMITED UK petroleum refining and distribution | £10.59bn | 1,411 |
| 09 | EASYJET AIRLINE COMPANY LIMITED Low-cost passenger airline | £9.94bn | 15,903 |
| 10 | BAE SYSTEMS (OPERATIONS) LIMITED registered office Aerospace and defence operating subsidiary | £7.57bn | 17,598 |
| 11 | CARNIVAL UK LTD. Cruise line operator | £7.42bn | — |
| 12 | MARTIN-BROWER UK LTD Supply chain and logistics provider | £7.06bn | 4,590 |
Biggest employers in South East
Top filers by latest reported headcount
| # | Company | Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | TESCO PLC LSE-listed multinational grocery retailer | 310,022 |
| 02 | TESCO STORES LIMITED Principal UK supermarket operating subsidiary | 249,663 |
| 03 | VODAFONE GROUP PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY group accounts Multinational telecommunications group | 92,834 |
| 04 | RENTOKIL INITIAL PLC Listed pest control and hygiene group | 65,632 |
| 05 | NHS PROFESSIONALS LIMITED registered office State-owned NHS staffing agency | 51,292 |
| 06 | SPECSAVERS OPTICAL SUPERSTORES LIMITED UK optical retail chain operator | 46,283 |
| 07 | J D WETHERSPOON PLC Listed pub and hotel operator | 42,081 |
| 08 | WHITBREAD GROUP PLC group accounts Hotel and restaurant operator | 34,700 |
| 09 | DHL SERVICES LIMITED UK logistics support services subsidiary | 31,560 |
| 10 | MASH HOLDINGS TOPCO LIMITED group accounts Holding company for Mike Ashley | 31,022 |
| 11 | TJX UK Discount apparel and homeware retailer | 25,463 |
| 12 | CENTRICA PLC registered office Multinational energy and services group | 22,066 |
Most profitable companies in South East 2026
Top operating filers by latest pre-tax profit
| # | Company | Pre-tax profit | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | TESCO STORES LIMITED Principal UK supermarket operating subsidiary | £1.66bn | 249,663 |
| 02 | TESCO PLC LSE-listed multinational grocery retailer | £1.51bn | 310,022 |
| 03 | TELEFONICA UK LIMITED Mobile telecommunications network operator | £1.40bn | 5,500 |
| 04 | BAE SYSTEMS (OPERATIONS) LIMITED registered office Aerospace and defence operating subsidiary | £989M | 17,598 |
| 05 | MICROSOFT LIMITED UK technology and software subsidiary | £890M | 5,023 |
| 06 | INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS GROUP PLC group accounts Listed global hotel operator | £795M | 19,040 |
| 07 | ABBOTT DIABETES CARE LIMITED | £692M | 847 |
| 08 | SMITH & NEPHEW PLC Multinational medical technology manufacturer | £577M | 17,530 |
| 09 | PFIZER LIMITED UK pharmaceutical subsidiary | £554M | 1,243 |
| 10 | SOUTHERN ELECTRIC POWER DISTRIBUTION PLC registered office Electricity distribution network operator | £545M | 2,979 |
| 11 | ARQIVA LIMITED Broadcast and utilities infrastructure provider | £499M | 1,307 |
| 12 | BRITISH GAS TRADING LIMITED registered office | £477M | 6,970 |
Best-paid boards in South East
Highest directors' remuneration disclosed
| # | Company | Directors' pay | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | MCLAREN RACING LIMITED Formula One motor racing team | £37M | 1,283 |
| 02 | KEYSIGHT TECHNOLOGIES (SPIRENT SERVICES) LIMITED Telecommunications and network testing provider | £15M | 234 |
| 03 | ARCUS INVESTMENT LIMITED Specialist Japanese equity fund manager | £14M | 15 |
| 04 | IMPELLAM GROUP LIMITED group accounts registered office Specialist staffing and managed services | £13M | 1,570 |
| 05 | GENUS PLC Listed animal genetics business | £12M | 3,307 |
| 06 | BRITVIC SOFT DRINKS LIMITED registered office Carlsberg-owned soft drinks manufacturer | £11M | 2,097 |
| 07 | VIRGIN ATLANTIC AIRWAYS LIMITED British long-haul passenger airline | £11M | 8,036 |
| 08 | OXFORD ECONOMICS GROUP LIMITED group accounts Economic forecasting and consulting firm | £10M | 658 |
| 09 | VIRGIN MEDIA LIMITED Broadband and telecommunications provider | £10M | 10,434 |
| 10 | RED BULL TECHNOLOGY LIMITED Formula One car manufacturer | £9M | 969 |
| 11 | SIX CONTINENTS LIMITED Intellectual property and treasury holdco | £9M | 399 |
| 12 | WICKES BUILDING SUPPLIES LIMITED Home improvement and DIY retailer | £8M | 7,713 |
Directors' remuneration as disclosed in filed accounts. Group filings may report key-management-personnel compensation, which is broader than the board; LLP members' profit share is excluded. Treat as "highest disclosed", not a like-for-like board ranking.
Companies ranked from their latest filed accounts at registered offices in South East. Registered office is where a company files, which is not always where it trades — see the badges. Implausible outliers are excluded. Snapshot from Companies House.