TWO Ilkley companies have been named as some of the best to work for in the whole country.

A survey conducted by The Sunday Times newspaper named Taylors of Harrogate which runs Bettys Tea Rooms and Booths Supermarkets in their top 100 companies to work for.

Booths, which has a branch on Leeds Road, is ranked in 44th position in the country, demonstrating the company's commitment to its 2,000 employees at 26 stores across the North of England.

Chairman of Booths, Edwin Booth, said: "It is a real honour to be recognised with such a prestigious award. As a company, we have always remained true to our core beliefs, proving that investment in staff and service is vital to successful performance."

The list of the best companies was published last weekend and is the only survey that ranks British companies on the basis of what their employees had to say.

Booths launched a new store in Settle last November and has plans in the pipeline to further develop the chain in the Fylde region. And as a result of current performance, Booths is also building a brand-new distribution centre near its head office in Preston.

And staff at Betty's are also celebrating after being recognised as one of the best places to work.

The survey ranked Bettys and Taylors in the top 20 businesses for caring for and investing in its staff. Thousands of companies were invited to compete for a place on the list, with staff being asked for their views on communication, teamwork, involvement, benefits and training.

As a result, Bettys joined the ranks of Microsoft, the Co-operative Bank and Asda as one of the best places to work in the whole country.

Bettys, which employs 850 staff in jobs as diverse as waitressing, engineering, tea blending and coffee buying - was recognised for its warm family atmosphere, training and career development, and commitment to working in a socially responsible way and trading ethically.

Human resources director for Bettys and Taylors, Jane Pike, said: "We're absolutely delighted. Bettys and Taylors is a family business with a family atmosphere. We know that staff are our most important asset and this award is something we can all be proud of."