A YORK accountancy firm has won the hat trick at regional industry awards.

Azets, which is based at Monks Cross Drive, Huntington, with further offices in Leeds, scooped best employer, best team, and the audit service accolades at the Yorkshire Accountancy Awards.

The success is a further boost for the ambitious growth plans unveiled by Azets, which is the UK’s largest regional accounting firm and specialist business advisor to SMEs.

It’s the second year running the firm has won best employer across the whole of the region.

Its corporate finance and tax were also finalists for tax service of the year and corporate finance team of the year.

Azets acquired Garbutt & Elliott, one of Yorkshire’s largest independent operators, last year as part of its expansion plans in the region.

Established in 1896, with offices in York and Leeds, Garbutt & Elliott employed more than 200 people, with 15 partners and enjoyed a £12 million turnover.

It is now trading as Azets, having joined the network of more than 80 offices.

Award judges said Azets was ‘a fantastic job creator’ in Yorkshire and praised its apprentice programme, focus on developing soft and technical skills and efforts to improve wellbeing as well as being an employer that works very hard to keep its staff, which ‘sets it apart from its competition’.

They also said: “Azets is gaining lots of new business and undergoing significant growth, all while achieving incredible rates of staff retention, serving clients to a high standard and investing in technology to complement its excellent audit service.”

Russell Turner, regional managing partner at Azets in Yorkshire, said: “To win three awards against such tough competition is truly amazing and it reflects the quality of people we have in Yorkshire and the importance we place on our people.

"Our team are brilliant at what they do, genuinely care and that's what makes Azets stand out from the crowd. I’d like to thank them all.

“The way people prefer to work has significantly changed over the last two years and continues to do so.

"Staff want flexibility on how and where they work. At Azets, this is seen as an opportunity to attract, retain and develop the best people which, in turn, will ensure our clients receive excellent service from a team that genuinely cares.

"We believe we create an energising and rewarding place to work and our culture is focused on the ethos that our people matter.

"There has never been a better time to join Azets and be part of an ambitious and forward-thinking team.”

Azets UK is part of Azets Group, an SME-focused international accounting, tax, audit, advisory and business services group, with more than 7,000 people in the UK and Europe.