What Bidfresh does

Bidfresh is a UK-based specialist fresh food distributor supplying fresh produce, fish, meat, and dairy products to chefs, restaurants, pubs, hotels, schools, colleges, and contract caterers throughout the United Kingdom. Operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bidcorp UK, the company runs a decentralized federation of 10 regional specialist businesses — including Direct Seafoods, Campbell Brothers, Oliver Kay Produce, R. Noone & Son, Daily Fish, Kingfisher Brixham, Hodgson Fish, and Sailbrand — that retain distinct heritage brands and customer relationships while accessing centralized procurement, technology, and back-office support.

Bidfresh completes approximately 750,000 deliveries annually (~15,000 weekly) using a fleet of about 180 vans from depots spanning Southport (registered HQ), Enfield, Brixham, Fleetwood, London, Stockport, Birmingham, Andover, Newbury, Bedford, Willand, Bonnyrigg, Colchester, Mere, Saltash, Avonmouth, Inverness, Galashiels, Hartlepool, Huddersfield, and Durham. The company serves more than 10,000 foodservice customers and employs between 1,001 and 5,000 staff. The underlying technology stack comprises Season ERP for enterprise resource planning, PODFather for route planning and electronic Proof of Delivery, and Geotab for fleet telematics; customer-facing technology centers on the Fresh Food Hub online ordering platform (web and iOS/Android) and a Direct Seafoods London mobile app launched in March 2026. Certifications are unusually dense and include BRC Food Standard, BRC Storage and Distribution, MSC, ASC, Red Tractor, QMS, Organic, Freedom Foods, EcoVadis Bronze (top 35%, 68% score), and CDP "SME B" climate disclosure.

Bidfresh generates revenue through B2B wholesale distribution with pricing negotiated by dedicated account managers and tailored to customer type, volume, and product mix. Following Andy Farnworth's appointment as Managing Director in June 2024, the company executed the Hodgson Fish and Sailbrand acquisition on 2025-07-30, explicitly supporting a stated ambition to double in size over the next five years via a combination of M&A, depot expansion, and digital channel buildout.

Name

Bidfresh

Legal name

Bidfresh Limited

Website

https://bidfresh.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Bidfresh is a UK specialist fresh food distributor supplying fresh produce, fish, meat, and dairy to over 10,000 foodservice customers through 10 regional specialist businesses, completing approximately 750,000 deliveries annually via a 180-van fleet.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Foodservice Distribution

NAICS

Food Service Contractors (72231)

akta.pro primary industry

Contract Foodservice Management (Outsourced Catering) (THAFAIAH)

Keywords

• Fresh food distribution
• Foodservice wholesale
• Seafood supply
• Specialist meat supply
• Fresh produce delivery

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices13 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Fresh Food Distribution: Bidfresh generates revenue through wholesale distribution of fresh produce, fish, meat, and dairy products to the hospitality sector. They operate as a B2B supplier to chefs, restaurants, pubs, hotels, schools, and contract caterers across the UK.
2. Specialist Category Distribution: Revenue streams span multiple specialist categories: fish and seafood through Direct Seafoods network, meat through Campbell Brothers butchers, produce through Oliver Kay and R. Noone & Son, and dairy through Oliver Kay Produce. Customers can get consolidated offerings with sister company Bidfood.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Bidfresh supplies chefs throughout the UK with daily fresh produce, fish, meat, and dairy products through a network of regional specialist businesses. The company operates its own fleet of approximately 180 vans that make around 750,000 deliveries per year to restaurants, pubs, hotels, schools, colleges and contract caterers, with ordering supported through the centralised Fresh Food Hub online platform and mobile apps.

Product overview

Bidfresh is a specialist fresh food supplier operating as a collection of regional businesses delivering fresh produce, fish, meat, and dairy products to chefs throughout the UK. The company operates a platform-plus-regional-brands model, combining centralized brand coordination (Direct Seafoods, Campbell Brothers, Oliver Kay) with independently-run regional businesses. The core customer-facing digital platform is Fresh Food Hub, an online ordering portal with mobile apps for iOS and Android. The fish business consists of 10 regional specialist fishmongers (including Direct Seafoods national brand, Daily Fish, Kingfisher Brixham, Neve Fleetwood, Hodgson Fish, Sailbrand); the meat business centers on Campbell Brothers butchers in Scotland and London; and the produce business includes Oliver Kay and R. Noone & Son. Following a July 2025 acquisition of Hodgson Fish and Sailbrand, Bidfresh now operates approximately 10 individual businesses making around 750,000 deliveries annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Direct Seafoods: National fish brand consisting of fishmongers situated around the UK offering freshly caught fish from UK waters and responsibly sourced fish from around the world.
• Campbell Brothers
• Oliver Kay Produce
• R. Noone & Son
• Kingfisher
• Daily Fish
• Hodgson Fish
• Sailbrand
• Neve Fleetwood
• Kingfisher Midlands
• Direct Seafoods London
• Direct Seafoods Colchester
• Channel Fisheries
• Campbell Brothers Fish
• Taylors (Taylor Foods)
• Fresh Food Hub

Products and services

• Fresh Food Hub Online Ordering Platform Online B2B ordering platform and mobile app (iOS/Android) that lets hospitality customers browse and shop Bidfresh's full range of fresh meat, seafood and produce, manage invoices and credits, and reorder previous purchases 24/7.
• Direct Seafoods — National Fish Brand Bidfresh's national fish brand, a network of regional fishmongers across the UK supplying fresh and frozen fish and seafood to hospitality customers.
• Campbell Brothers — National Meat Brand Bidfresh's national meat brand, consisting of two specialist butchers (Scotland and London) supplying premium meat products to UK hospitality customers.
• Oliver Kay Produce — National Fresh Produce Brand Bidfresh's national produce brand, supplying fresh fruit and vegetables, dairy and dry store ingredients from local growers and overseas suppliers to hospitality kitchens.
• R. Noone & Son — North West Fresh Food Supply Manchester-based supplier sourcing and delivering fresh ingredients, including fruit and vegetables, to kitchens across the North West of England.
• Direct Seafoods London Mobile App Dedicated online shop and mobile app for Direct Seafoods London customers, enabling 24/7 ordering, quick reorder of previous purchases, customised product selections, and viewing of invoices, credits and statements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 750,000 deliveries per year across the UK
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• PodFathercoreTechnology or Integration · 25 May 2026Bidfresh uses PodFather logistics software across all depots and headquarters for route planning and optimisation, electronic proof of delivery, driver app with route instructions, pre and post vehicle checks, and real-time customer ETA notifications. The software integrates with Bidfresh's order management and ERP systems.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bidfood UK: Sister company of Bidfresh within Bidcorp UK; the UK's largest delivered foodservice wholesaler supplying broad-range ambient, chilled and frozen products to caterers. Directly comparable business model (B2B foodservice distribution, depot network, own fleet) and offers Bidfresh's customers a consolidated supply alongside its specialist fresh offering.
• Brakes Group: One of the UK's largest foodservice wholesalers (part of Sysco), supplying fresh, frozen and ambient food to restaurants, hotels, schools and contract caterers via a national depot and delivery network. Closest direct competitor to Bidfresh on customer base, product breadth and depot-led distribution model.
• 3663 (Philip Dennis Foodservice): UK delivered foodservice wholesaler supplying independent pubs, restaurants, hotels, schools and care homes. Comparable B2B model, depot-and-fleet distribution, and similar customer overlap with Bidfresh's independent chef segment.
• Creed Foodservice: Family-owned UK foodservice wholesaler serving pubs, restaurants, hotels, schools and care homes with a multi-category range including fresh, frozen and ambient. Comparable depot-led B2B model targeting the same independent and contract caterer customers as Bidfresh.
• Reynolds Catering Supplies: Regional UK foodservice wholesaler supplying fresh, frozen and ambient products to caterers, hotels, restaurants and public-sector clients. Comparable B2B distribution model and customer mix in Bidfresh's core hospitality and contract-caterer segments.
• Total Foodservice: UK delivered foodservice wholesaler operating a multi-depot model to supply hospitality, education and care-home caterers. Overlapping customer base and comparable depot/delivery-led B2B model to Bidfresh.
• Caterforce: UK buying group and distribution network of independent foodservice wholesalers, giving members scale on procurement and own-label ranges. Comparable B2B foodservice model; member wholesalers often compete head-to-head with Bidfresh at regional level.

Broad incumbents

• Compass Group UK & Ireland: Largest contract caterer in the UK; while primarily an operator (not a distributor), it is a major buyer of fresh produce, fish and meat and competes for the same contract-caterer and education end-customers that Bidfresh supplies.
• Sysco Corporation: Global market leader in B2B foodservice distribution; parent of Brakes in the UK. Comparable core business model (depot-based multi-temperature foodservice distribution) and a benchmark for scale, category mix and M&A discipline that Bidfresh aspires to via its Bidcorp ownership.

Emerging players

• Shore Catering Supplies: Smaller UK regional foodservice wholesaler serving hospitality and care-home customers in defined geographies. Comparable B2B depot model at a smaller scale; representative of the regional independent wholesalers that Bidfresh could consolidate under its M&A strategy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance11 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A3 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Bidfresh