WARBURTONS is celebrating achieving a top UK accolade for the second year in a row.

Britain’s largest bakery brand, which is based in Bolton, has made it onto the Sunday Times’ Best Big Companies to Work For list.

Moving up the list from 24th to 23rd, the bakery brand remains the only food manufacturer to make the list since the survey first launched in 2001, with the majority of places still occupied by retailer and professional services companies.

Jonathan Warburton, chairman, said: "We’re incredibly proud to be recognised as a best place to work by our people. This is a testament to the hard work, passion and commitment of everyone in our family business.

"The manufacturing and distribution sector continues to be a tough industry to work in and recruit for, but we are very proud to say that the 4,500 people who run our 26 bakery and depot sites continue to feel valued, well looked after and proud to work for us.

"This makes the honour of being on the Best Big Company list even more meaningful and makes our job so much more worthwhile."

Warburtons has been part of the Bolton community since 1870. Locally, it employs 950 people at its two bakeries and head office, and is one of the largest private sector companies in the town, as well as being one of the most modern bakeries in Europe.

Across Britain, the firm also employs over 4,500 people across 26 bakeries and 14 depots and bakes over 2million products each day.

Warburtons remains a family business and is currently owned by the fifth generation of Warburtons; cousins, Jonathan, Ross and Brett.

The Sunday Times’ Best Companies survey compiles the views of employees on eight key areas including wellbeing, leadership and personal development to give the business an overall ranking.

The survey took place in September 2016 and the results were announced on Friday.

Mr Warburton said the recognition enabled the company to continue its mission to provide for its employees and to recruit and retain "the very best talent there is".