The Ice Co

Yorkshire’s Coolest Employer? The Ice Co Makes UK Top 100 List

 

 

The Ice Co has officially been named as one of the UK’s Best Workplaces™ 2026 by Great Place To Work®, the global authority on workplace culture. 

 

The Pontefract-based company ranked 98 in the medium sized business category, acknowledging the brand for its commitment to inclusion, quality and growth. 

 

The firm, which boasts Europe’s biggest ice factory, has recently introduced a number of benefits for their employees such as new training opportunities, free monthly lunches and Perkbox benefits. Perkbox allows staff to access thousands of discounts on everyday items such as tech, groceries and travel.

 

124 people are employed at the family business, but this rises to around 150 over busy months such as summer and Christmas.

 

It’s the second award The Ice Co has scooped from Great Place to Work in the last year as they also featured in the UK’s Best Workplaces for Manufacturing, Production & Transportation™ list.

 

To compile the list, Great Place to Work analysed confidential employee survey feedback on trust and how they’re reaching their full human potential, as well as their experience of innovation, company values and leadership. They then used these insights to benchmark the effectiveness of The Ice Co’s own employee’s employee value propositions against the culture staff actually experienced. 

 

Polly Metcalfe, director of The Ice Co, said: “Being named on the UK’s Best Workplaces List means a huge amount to us. I’m incredibly proud of the team we’ve built and the culture we’ve created together. We care about doing great work, we always put our customers first, and we’re quick to celebrate each other’s wins. Most importantly, we look out for one another and pull together as a team. That’s what makes this company special, and it’s why this recognition feels so well deserved.

 

“From our confidential employee feedback, we can see that overall our team highly commends our dedication to ongoing learning, individual growth, and the culture of knowledge exchange across our business.”

 

Benedict Gautrey, Managing Director of Great Place To Work UK, added: “At Great Place To Work our mission is to help every workplace become a great place to work for all. We wholeheartedly endorse that what's 'better for business' aligns with what's 'better for people,' ultimately contributing to a better world For All™." 

 

“Year after year, it's truly inspiring to witness a growing number of organisations earn a spot on our UK’s Best Workplaces List. We’ve seen an increase yet again in Trust Index scores which means the bar has been raised and this accreditation is a significant and tremendous accomplishment. The UK’s Best Workplaces excel in creating consistently great experiences for all employees through fostering high levels of trust, pride and camaraderie to fuel increased organisational performance. These crucial elements collectively contribute to creating cultures where employees feel they can truly be themselves and thrive in a supportive and caring environment. Congratulations to The Ice Co for achieving a place on our 2026 UK’s Best Workplaces List." 

 

Great Place To Work performed rigorous evaluations of hundreds of employee survey responses alongside Culture Audit™ submissions from leaders at each company to create the 2026 UK's Best Workplaces List.

 

One of the employees gave this feedback in The Ice Co’s Trust Index™ survey: “The company is still family run with the owners having a heavy presence within the day to day running. They are genuinely interested in the people who work for them and approachable. We have an annual charity day with a raffle, games and food which is always a good day and great for the local community.”

 

To find out more about The Ice Co, head to https://theiceco.co.uk/about/