UNILEVER is celebrating after being named the most admired company in Britain 2015.

It is the second time the firm- which was founded in Port Sunlight in the 1890s by William Hesketh Lever - has won the award from influential magazine Management Today.

It's a double celebration for Unilever as they were also rated in the top 10 places to work in Britain in a staff survey by jobs website Glassdoor.

The Management Today accolade is based on the largest peer review of its kind in the UK, conducted by the Leeds Business School, which asks 250 senior executives to rate their rivals.

Gina Boswell, Unilever UK and Ireland general manager, said: “We are thrilled and very proud to receive this award.

“With a rich heritage we are working every day to secure a long-term future success and this calls for a strategic approach to business that recognises consumers are increasingly demanding responsible brands.

“The need for businesses to adapt and to do the right thing is clear, as are the associated benefits.

“Getting this right can lead to growth that is both equitable and sustainable, indeed, some of our leading brands are proof of this.

“Our blueprint for success is the Unilever 'Sustainable Living Plan.'

“It forces us to think in new ways to achieve our goals, it helps bring the outside in and has many different touch points across our business including how we develop, deliver and market our brands.

Unilever also won the Food producers category and three of the nine criteria awards for Financial Soundness, Ability to Attract, Retain & Develop Top Talent and Quality of Marketing.

Ms Boswell added: “It is truly humbling and as someone who now has the good fortune to be leading Unilever UK and Ireland, I find such recognition hugely motivating, too.”