William Jackson Food Group

What William Jackson Food Group does

William Jackson Food Group is a sixth-generation, family-owned UK food business founded in 1851 in Hull, headquartered at The Riverside Building in Hessle, East Yorkshire. It operates as a diversified holding company over six independently positioned food brands: Abel & Cole (organic and sustainable grocery home delivery, B Corp certified since 2018), Jacksons Bakery / Jacksons of Yorkshire (industrial sandwich bread and retail bakery, baking since 1907 at Hull and since 2018 at Corby), Belazu (premium Mediterranean and Middle Eastern ingredients, B Corp certified since 2021), Lottie Shaw's (Yorkshire craft bakery acquired April 2024), Wellocks (premium fresh ingredient supplier to Michelin-star restaurants, luxury hotels and sporting venues via a five-depot UK network), and Miso Tasty (Japanese miso products acquired in 2023 under Belazu).

The group's underlying technology is conventional food manufacturing and distribution — bakery production lines in Hull and Corby, ambient grocery packing and routing for Abel & Cole, and a depot-based foodservice supply chain for Wellocks — overlaid with sustainability commitments (Net Zero 2050, science-based targets, UK Plastics Pact alignment, 1.5% of EBITDA donated to community charities). The group is in the middle of a back-office re-platforming: an ERP system was launched in March 2024, which materially disrupted FY25 results.

William Jackson Food Group generates revenue primarily through one-time sale of manufactured and sourced food products across B2C (Abel & Cole weekly doorstep delivery, Belazu e-commerce, Lottie Shaw's retail), B2B foodservice and wholesale (Jacksons sandwich bread and retail packs into supermarkets, coffee shops, pubs, healthcare and schools; Wellocks into hospitality), and direct professional-chef supply (Belazu, Wellocks). Pricing is not publicly disclosed and varies by channel — retail-shelf pricing for branded goods, route-based subscription pricing for Abel & Cole, and quote-based pricing for Wellocks/Belazu professional accounts. Group turnover was £332.1m in FY ending 26 April 2025 (down from £334.3m), with a £4.63m pre-tax loss against a £621k profit the prior year; the company is privately held with no external institutional or private-equity shareholders.

Name

William Jackson Food Group

Legal name

William Jackson Food Group Limited

Website

https://wjfg.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1851

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

William Jackson Food Group is a sixth-generation, family-owned UK food holding company operating six brands across organic grocery delivery (Abel & Cole), industrial and retail bakery (Jacksons, Lottie Shaw's), premium Mediterranean and Japanese ingredients (Belazu, Miso Tasty), and hospitality ingredient supply (Wellocks), generating revenue through B2C, retail and foodservice channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Manufacturing / Packaged Foods & Bakery

NAICS

Retail Bakeries (311811), Cookie and Cracker Manufacturing (311821), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529), Baked Goods Retailers (445291)

SIC

Bakery Products (2050), Food And Kindred Products (2000), Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)

akta.pro primary industry

Bread & Rolls Wholesale (AFAIAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wholesale / Commercial Bakeries (B2B Supply) (THAFAFAF), Retail Bakeries (Bread & Daily Bakery) (THAFAFAA), Restaurant & Foodservice Supply Cash-and-Carry (Chef Stores) (CRAHAMAD)

Keywords

• Bakery manufacturing
• Organic food delivery
• Premium food ingredients
• Foodservice supply
• Sandwich bread supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Hook

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Food Manufacturing and Sales: The group operates multiple food businesses including bakery, organic grocery delivery, premium ingredients, and specialty foods, generating revenue through manufacturing and sales of food products across B2C and B2B channels.

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

William Jackson Food Group manufactures and sells food products across six owned brands, including sandwich bread and bakery goods (Jacksons, Lottie Shaw's), organic and sustainable groceries for home delivery (Abel & Cole), premium Mediterranean and Japanese ingredients (Belazu, Miso Tasty), and fresh ingredient supply to hospitality venues (Wellocks). The group serves both end consumers directly and B2B customers such as sandwich manufacturers, foodservice operators, retailers, restaurants and hotels, primarily in the UK.

Product overview

William Jackson Food Group is a sixth-generation family food business operating six distinct food brands as a portfolio rather than a unified platform. The portfolio includes: Abel & Cole (organic grocery home delivery, established 1988), Jacksons Bakery (bread supplier and retail bakery brand, operating since 1851), Belazu (premium Mediterranean ingredients including balsamic and olive oil), Lottie Shaw's (traditional Yorkshire craft bakery acquired 2024), Wellocks (premium ingredients supplier to hospitality sector), and Miso Tasty (Japanese miso products, acquired 2023 under Belazu). Each brand operates independently with its own identity, target market, and distribution channels, unified under shared family values and governance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Abel & Cole: High-quality sustainable and organic food delivery service, B Corp certified since 2018
• Jacksons of Yorkshire
• Belazu
• Lottie Shaw's
• Wellocks
• Miso Tasty

Products and services

• Abel & Cole Organic and sustainable grocery delivery service delivering to tens of thousands of UK homes weekly; B Corp certified since 2018.
• Jacksons Bakery UK's leading supplier of sandwich bread to sandwich manufacturers and foodservice businesses, operating Hull and Corby bakeries, plus a retail brand (Jacksons of Yorkshire) sold through UK supermarkets, coffee shops, restaurants, pubs, healthcare and schools.
• Belazu UK's top-selling balsamic vinegar and premium olive oil brand, supplying Mediterranean and Middle Eastern ingredients to professional chefs, retailers and home cooks; B Corp certified since September 2021.
• Lottie Shaw's West Yorkshire craft bakery producing traditional Yorkshire baked treats including Yorkshire Parkin, flapjacks, shortbreads and tarts; crowned Official Taste Of Yorkshire in 2018.
• Wellocks Supplier of high-quality fresh ingredients to Michelin-starred restaurants, luxury hotels and top-tier sporting venues, operating a UK depot network (Nelson, Tewkesbury, Westcott, Harlow, Glasgow); over 60 years in business.
• Miso Tasty Authentic Japanese miso products for professional chefs and home cooks, sold through retail and foodservice channels under Belazu.

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Lottie Shaw'scoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2024William Jackson Food Group acquired family-run West Yorkshire-based bakery Lottie Shaw's in April 2024. The deal allows Lottie Shaw's to operate as a standalone business and expand its growth with additional expertise and scale from Jacksons. Lottie Shaw's produces baked goods and drinks including their signature Yorkshire Parkin, flapjacks, shortbreads, and tarts.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Daylesford Organic: UK premium organic farm and food retailer that supplies sustainable groceries and premium ingredients, mirroring Abel & Cole's organic grocery proposition and Belazu's premium positioning.
• Riverford Organic Farmers: UK organic fruit and vegetable box-delivery business competing directly with Abel & Cole in the sustainable home-grocery delivery segment, with similar customer demographic and weekly delivery model.
• Allied Bakeries: ABF-owned UK bakery business producing Kingsmill and other bread brands at scale. Directly comparable to Jacksons in sandwich-bread manufacturing and foodservice supply, with similar B2B and retail channels.
• Samworth Brothers: UK multi-brand food manufacturer (including salads, sandwiches, bakery and chilled foods) operating a portfolio of complementary food brands. Highly comparable to WJFG's multi-brand portfolio model and its foodservice/c-store distribution muscle.
• Warburtons: UK's largest family-owned bakery, primarily producing branded bread for retail and foodservice. Directly comparable to Jacksons Bakery in the UK bread market, with similar family-ownership heritage and B2B/B2C sandwich-bread positioning.
• Hovis: Iconic UK bread brand operating in sandwich bread and retail bakery, recently acquired from Endless by Associated British Foods. Directly competes with Jacksons in the UK bread and bakery market, with significant foodservice distribution.

Emerging players

• Bramble Foods: UK specialist foodservice distributor focused on premium, ambient and speciality foods for hospitality and catering. Operates in the same premium foodservice distribution space as Wellocks, serving similar customer types.
• Tyrrells / Tyrrells crisps: Premium UK crisp/snack brand in the foodservice and premium grocery channel. Jill Martin of Wellocks previously worked at Tyrrells, indicating industry adjacency in premium UK snack distribution.

Broad incumbents

• Associated British Foods: Diversified international food and retail group owning Allied Bakeries, Twinings, AB Sugar and Primark. A broad incumbent with overlapping UK bakery and grocery interests and significantly larger scale than WJFG.
• Premier Foods: Listed UK food manufacturer with a portfolio of branded ambient and packaged foods. A broader food incumbent competing for UK retail shelf space and grocery distribution across categories that overlap with WJFG's brands.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wjfgcomms
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/william-jackson-food-group
• Instagraminstagram.com/wjfg1851

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about William Jackson Food Group