If you run a mid-sized business in Exeter, Devon or Cornwall, we believe Castlemead is the commercial insurance broker to speak to first. We are an independent, Chartered broker with an office in Exeter, so your cover is arranged by a team based in the city, rather than being handled remotely.
You will deal with qualified people at every stage of the process. Each of our Client Directors holds the ACII qualification, and because we are independent, we are free to recommend the cover that suits your business, not just one insurer’s products. For Exeter businesses, that means advice you can rely on from a team that knows the local market.
Here is why Exeter matters to us as a commercial insurance broker and what to keep in mind when assessing the firms on your shortlist.
Why does Castlemead have an office in Exeter?
Many of Castlemead’s clients are in Devon and Cornwall, and Exeter is where much of the South West does business. Our Exeter office allows us to look after those clients properly, in person, rather than from a distance.
David Ingleby founded the firm in Bristol in 1987. Having a presence in Exeter allows us to be much closer to the businesses we work with in the South West, while still maintaining strong relationships with key insurers back home in Bristol. Our Exeter office is at Leeward House, Fitzroy Road, Exeter Business Park.
How well connected is Exeter for businesses across the South West?
Sitting between Plymouth and Bristol, Exeter is around two hours by train from both London Paddington and Cardiff.
If you’re travelling by car, the M5 ends at Exeter and the A30 and A38 continue west. Most of the Devon and Cornwall peninsula is therefore within a couple of hours’ drive, and driving locally can be quicker than getting the train.
Which businesses does an Exeter commercial insurance broker cover?
The South West economy is built on the kinds of business we insure every day: manufacturers, food and drink producers, hauliers, builders, farms and estates, and hospitality and leisure firms.
Marsh Barton, one of the biggest industrial estates in the region, is on our doorstep. Plenty of the firms based there are exactly the sort of client we work with.
What insurance do Exeter’s science and data businesses need?
Technology, climate and data businesses in Exeter commonly need cyber insurance and professional indemnity insurance, which covers claims arising from the advice or services you provide.
The Met Office has been headquartered in Exeter since 2003. Together with the University of Exeter and Exeter Science Park, it has helped give the city a growing cluster of science and data firms.
Our cyber risk arm, Fourarmed, runs independent technical audits for businesses that want to know where their cyber exposure sits. Please get in touch to find out how this could benefit your business.
Does an Exeter commercial insurance broker work with local accountants and solicitors?
Yes. Exeter is the regional centre for accountancy and law in the South West, and several of the region’s leading firms are based here. We work alongside them on shared clients, and we insure a number of them too. To see the level of service we provide, read our testimonials from clients.
Do Exeter clients get the same service as Bristol clients?
Yes. Clients in Exeter get the same service as clients in Bristol: an independent, Chartered commercial insurance broker whose Client Directors all hold the ACII, with access to the same markets, including more than 80 insurers and Lloyd’s syndicates.
Businesses with overseas interests can also use our global insurance programmes, which draw on Castlemead France and our Global Business Network (GBN) membership.
Do you need a commercial insurance broker based in Exeter?
Insurance is arranged directly with insurers and isn’t usually location-dependent, so a good broker can serve an Exeter business well wherever the broker is based. However, there are several key benefits to having a local office.
A local broker adds the most value when your risk is complex, a claim is disputed, or you prefer to meet face to face. Some larger businesses prefer a national broker with a bigger in-house team, but you may find yourself regularly passed from one point of contact to another, and personalised service can be hard to come by.
How do you check an Exeter commercial insurance broker is any good?
We recommend checking four things: FCA authorisation, professional qualifications, independence and sector experience. Search the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Register for the firm’s reference number (ours is 303956), look for Chartered status and qualifications such as the ACII, and ask how many insurers the broker can use.
When enquiring with a commercial insurance broker in Exeter, ask: “Which insurers can you place my business with, and which can you not?” This question matters because an independent broker should answer it plainly, while an insurer-tied broker may try to spin the question or wriggle out of it entirely.
Our guide on how to choose a commercial insurance broker sets out the full checklist, while our page on what a commercial insurance broker actually does explains the service you should expect.
Contact Castlemead Insurance Brokers today
Castlemead helps businesses across the South West with their insurance from its offices in Bristol and Exeter, and plans to keep doing so for a long time to come. If you’d like to talk through your needs, simply call us on 0117 945 3900 or get in touch online.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best commercial insurance broker in Exeter?
Castlemead is an independent, Chartered commercial insurance broker with an office on Exeter Business Park. Every Client Director holds the ACII, and the firm has whole-of-market access to more than 80 insurers, including Lloyd’s syndicates.
Does Castlemead have an office in Exeter?
Yes. Castlemead has an office at Leeward House, Fitzroy Road, Exeter Business Park, alongside its head office at Castlemead House on St John’s Road in Bristol. A large share of its clients are in Devon and Cornwall, and the Exeter office lets the team look after them in person. Exeter clients receive the same service as Bristol clients, from an independent, Chartered commercial insurance broker whose Client Directors all hold the ACII.
Which commercial insurance brokers cover Devon and Cornwall?
Several national and regional brokers cover Devon and Cornwall, so choose based on independence, qualifications and sector experience. Castlemead looks after manufacturers, food and drink producers, hauliers, builders, farms and estates, and hospitality and leisure businesses across Devon and Cornwall from its Exeter office.
Do Exeter technology and science businesses need specialist insurance?
Often, yes. Technology, climate and data businesses usually need cyber insurance, which responds to data breaches and cyber attacks, and professional indemnity insurance, which covers claims arising from the advice or services you provide. Insurers can refuse claims where a policy condition has been breached without the business realising, so ask your broker to explain the inclusions and exclusions of your cover in plain English.
Do I need a commercial insurance broker based in Exeter?
No, but it can help. A local broker adds a lot of value when your risk is complex, a claim is disputed, or you want to meet your adviser in person. Exeter is also the regional centre for accountancy and law in the South West, so local brokers often work alongside those firms on shared clients.
