Here are top-rated business / commercial insurers in the UK (based on recent broker surveys, consumer awards and industry reports around 2024–mid‑2025). Which insurer is “best” depends on your business size, sector and the cover you need (public liability, employers’ liability, professional indemnity, cyber, property, motor fleet, etc.).

Top picks (quick summary)

• Markel UK — highly rated by brokers for commercial lines (top of Insurance Times’ 2024/25 commercial-lines Five Star ratings). (insurancetimes.co.uk)
• Arch Insurance — one of the broker‑rated top commercial insurers (Insurance Times Five Star report). (insurancetimes.co.uk)
• Zurich — rated among the top commercial lines insurers by brokers. (insurancetimes.co.uk)
• NFU Mutual — strong consumer ratings and Which? Insurance Brand of the Year (consumer award 2025); known for high customer/claims satisfaction. (which.co.uk)
• Aviva — widely used by SMEs and frequently recommended for a broad range of business covers. (Large UK insurer with strong market presence.) (reuters.com)
• Hiscox — specialist and well‑regarded for professional indemnity, small business and specialist covers (consultants, tech, creatives). (insurancenewsblog.com)
• AXA / Direct Line for Business — commonly recommended for trades, retail and standard SME packages (good online quoting and trade‑specific add‑ons). (insurancenewsblog.com)
• Chubb, Allianz, QBE, Beazley — stronger for larger SME/mid‑market or specialist risks (management liability, PI, cyber, international exposures). (insurancetimes.co.uk)
• Munich Re Specialty (and other Lloyd’s/wholesale markets) — highly rated for specialist cyber and complex risks (industry awards / recognitions). (munichre.com)

Why these names appear frequently

• Insurance Times’ brokers’ Five Star survey (2024/25) shows Markel, Arch and Zurich leading broker satisfaction for commercial lines. (insurancetimes.co.uk)
• Which? consumer awards and other consumer‑facing polling highlight NFU Mutual and a small set of insurers with consistently high customer/claims scores. (which.co.uk)
• Specialist players (Hiscox, Beazley, Chubb, Munich Re/ Lloyd’s underwriters) dominate for professional, cyber and niche covers in industry reports. (en.wikipedia.org)

Quick guidance on choosing the right insurer

• Match insurer strength to risk: use generalist insurers (Aviva, AXA, Direct Line) for standard SME cover; choose specialist or Lloyd’s underwriters (Hiscox, Beazley, Munich Re) for professional, cyber or complex risks.
• Compare policy wording and exclusions (not just price). Claims handling and what’s actually covered matters most.
• Get at least 2–3 quotes (direct or via a broker), and check broker/consumer satisfaction scores and claims turnaround.
• For mid/large businesses or unusual risks, work with a broker who can access wholesale/Lloyd’s markets and place specialist covers.

If you’d like, I can:

• Pull together award/rating pages and a short comparison of 3–5 insurers for a specific industry (e.g., trades, consultancy, tech/start‑up, retail), or
• Find brokers or comparison services that specialise in your sector.

(Information above is drawn from broker/service surveys and industry awards published in 2024–mid‑2025 — see Insurance Times Five Star results, Which? Awards 2025, industry press and insurer announcements cited.) (insurancetimes.co.uk)