On Friday 7th October, the proposed move to merge Bespoke Tax Accountants into Bishop Fleming was completed adding its Cheltenham base to its offices in Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth, Torquay, Truro, and Worcester.
The move 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.”
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, we felt there was a real synergy between us. Having now joined Bishop Fleming we have secured 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 are delighted to be part of the fantastic Bishop Fleming 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 ware now a team of nearly 100 people across the Three Counties with plans to increase this further.
Andrew added:
“We are delighted to welcome 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.”