Fast-growing brand, creative and digital agency Mr B and Friends is to move from Bath to Bristol after failing to find a suitable office in its home city to meet its expansion plans.
The firm was formed in a bedroom 11 years ago by CEO Simon Barbato, pictured, and moved into Bath city centre around nine years ago. 
It now employs 40 people working on campaigns for blue-chip clients such as Intercontinental Hotel Group, Principality Building Society, Unite Students and SSE.
But its rapid expansion means it is likely to need to recruit another 15 to 20 staff over the next year or so. Its current base is already too small – and despite a long search the firm has found nothing to meet its requirements in Bath.
Having run out of options, Simon said it was an obvious decision to move to Bristol – especially as nearly two-thirds of its staff live in the city.
The agency is to move into 6,700 sq ft in a building on the Temple Quay office park next to Temple Meads railway station in mid-August. The space is now being designed to Mr B & Friends’ own specification.
“We’re looking forward to being part of Bristol’s creative sector,” added Simon. “We already have links with a number of Bristol businesses.
“We are growing fast – we’ve doubled in size over the past 18 months – and it will be easier to recruit in Bristol.”
Growth was coming from new client wins as well as more work for its existing clients, he said.
One of the problems with the office market in Bath is that there is little open-plan space, said Simon.
“We pretty much looked at everything on the market in Bath but anything we did find had too many complications.”
He said the prospect of moving to Bath’s planned Quays South development area – which will create a much-needed new business centre for the city – was mooted but would was considered too far off. The first office building on the site is not expected to become available until next year.
The only other new large office scheme in the city is already fully let.
Property agents and business leaders in Bath have been warning for several years that the lack of office space is driving firms out of the city to Bristol.
A number of fast-growing firms including online investment platform developer Parmenion and specialist software engineers Purple Secure Systems have already relocated to Bristol after failing to find new premises in Bath.
