SUPERMARKET giant Asda, which has been consistently voted the best company to work for in the North, was this year pipped to the post for the title.

Yesterday's Sunday Times 100 Best Companies To Work For saw the project management firm the Eagoi Partnership, from Newcastle, which employs 541 staff, take over the top slot, although it ranked 28th nationally.

Asda, the biggest company considered, with 127,513 on the payroll, was ranked 31st nationally while customer services operation Loop Customer Management of Bradford employing 627, came third regionally and 33rd nationally.

Yet again, Bettys & Taylors, with its HQ in Harrogate, employing 914 people, was in the running at fourth regionally and 38th nationally.

Just creeping into the picture at seventh regionally and 58th nationally was Bells Stores, which employs 890 people at its convenience shops in the North-East.

Asda bosses can console themselves with being beaten into runner-up position by the fact that the company has already been named by global business magazine Fortune as Britain's best company to work for after inspectors dropped into the York store at Monks Cross, Huntington and met some of the 750 staff there.

Updated: 11:21 Monday, March 08, 2004