Britain's best boss? Entire company flown to Spain for weekend Christmas work party

At this time of year, most workers expect their employers to fork out for the traditional Christmas party.

However, one generous boss has gone the extra mile by paying for 20 of her staff to go on an all-expenses paid trip to Madrid for the festive season.

Arabella Lewis-Smith, 42, is the managing director of Dorset-based marketing agency Salad Creative. She sent her lucky employees on the break to celebrate their success over the past 12 months.

Flights, entertainment and city centre accommodation were all paid for as they set off from Gatwick to the Spanish capital. The cohort posed for pictures as they enjoyed boozy meals and other fun outings. They also visited parks and also explored the city's Christmas markets. In all, the trip cost £5,000.

Based in seaside town of Poole, the company recently won a contract to provide social media support for the 2018 Commonwealth Games being held in Queensland, Australia.

"Our boss is pretty awesome in general but this was the cherry on top," one employee told the Daily Mail.

"When Arabella announced the Christmas do to us in a meeting a few months ago, there were whoops and cheers. We were so excited about it and it did not disappoint.

"We all enjoyed exploring the sites, the great food, a few cocktails and a boogie. It's all we have talked about since."

Lewis-Smith set up the agency 16 years ago in 2001 and said she prides herself on providing a workplace that employees love working for.

"We are a company that cares about its people and being able to treat our 20 staff with a trip to Madrid was a delightful feeling," she said.

"I think getting together as a team is really important and you can see the benefits as it brings every one closer together.

"Last year we went to the West End for a show and a meal out and this year we wanted to do something a bit different. We've had an amazing year and I wanted to reward everyone for their hard work. We decided to celebrate in style with a Christmas party to remember."