Reynolds Catering Supplies

What Reynolds Catering Supplies does

Reynolds Catering Supplies Ltd (trading as Reynolds Food Group) is a UK-based B2B food distributor founded in 1945 by William Reynolds as a fruit and vegetable stall at Ridley Road Market in Hackney, London. The company is now in its fourth generation of family ownership, led by Tony Reynolds with his sons Tom and Nick in operational roles. It operates a National Distribution Centre in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, supplemented by regional depots across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and is described by the company as 'the only remaining national family-owned greengrocer in the UK'.

The company supplies seven core product categories — fruit and vegetables, meat and poultry, fish and seafood, cheese and dairy, prepared foods, ambient grocery, and frozen — supplemented by specialist divisions Carnivore (meat) and Shoal (seafood), and the acquired high-end greengrocer brand Solstice. Customers span restaurants, pubs, hotels, stadia and events, travel and leisure, retail and food-to-go, education and healthcare, and food manufacturing, served through a direct B2B sales model with both enterprise account management and SME field sales.

The business model is transaction-based B2B food distribution; pricing is not publicly disclosed and customers must request account setup. The company uses what it describes as 'state-of-the-art' technology for order management and logistics, supports a content/resource hub, and maintains organic social presence on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. Revenue, funding, and detailed financials are not disclosed.

Name

Reynolds Catering Supplies

Legal name

Reynolds Catering Supplies Ltd

Website

https://reynolds-cs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Reynolds Catering Supplies (Reynolds Food Group) is a UK national B2B food distributor, founded 1945 and family-owned across four generations, supplying fresh produce, meat, fish, dairy, prepared, ambient, and frozen products to restaurants, pubs, hotels, stadia, events, travel, education, healthcare, and manufacturing customers via a national depot network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Distribution and Wholesale

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Bar & Beverage Service Supplies Wholesale (AFAIALAG)

Keywords

• Fresh produce distribution
• Hospitality food supply
• Fruit vegetable wholesale
• Catering food supplier
• Meat seafood dairy distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Waltham Cross

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fresh Produce Distribution: Reynolds generates revenue through the distribution and sale of fresh produce and food products to hospitality businesses across the UK. The company supplies fruit and vegetables, meat and poultry, fish and seafood, cheese and dairy, prepared foods, ambient grocery, and frozen products to restaurants, pubs, hotels, and other catering establishments.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Reynolds Catering Supplies (Reynolds Food Group) is a UK national fresh produce and food distributor supplying fruit and vegetables, meat and poultry, fish and seafood, cheese and dairy, prepared foods, ambient grocery, and frozen products to hospitality businesses. The company operates a national distribution network with regional depots across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, distributing directly to restaurants, pubs, hotels, stadia and event venues, travel and leisure operators, education and healthcare institutions, and food manufacturers.

Product overview

Reynolds Food Group is a national fresh produce supplier operating as a single unified distribution business. The company offers seven core product categories—Fruit and Vegetables, Meat and Poultry, Fish and Seafood, Cheese and Dairy, Prepared Foods, Ambient Grocery, and Frozen—which together form a comprehensive fresh food supply offering for the UK hospitality sector. The portfolio is supplemented by specialist divisions including Carnivore (meat specialist) and Shoal (seafood specialist), plus the acquired high-end greengrocer brand Solstice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Carnivore: Specialist meat division operating under Reynolds Food Group.
• Shoal
• Solstice

Products and services

• Fruit and Vegetables Fresh fruit and vegetable supplies sourced from growers and farmers, distributed to restaurants, pubs, hotels, and other hospitality businesses across the UK.
• Meat and Poultry Premium meat and poultry products distributed to restaurants, pubs, and hospitality businesses across the UK.
• Fish and Seafood Fresh and sustainably sourced fish and seafood distributed to catering and hospitality businesses across the UK.
• Cheese and Dairy Artisan and mainstream cheese and dairy products supplied to hospitality customers across the UK.
• Prepared Foods Ready-to-serve prepared food products supplied for catering operations and hospitality kitchens.
• Ambient Grocery Ambient grocery supplies including dry goods, condiments, and non-perishable food items distributed to hospitality customers.
• Frozen Frozen food products supplied to hospitality businesses for extended shelf life and menu flexibility.
• Carnivore Specialist meat division operating under Reynolds Food Group, providing premium and specialty meat products to hospitality customers.
• Shoal Specialist seafood division operating under Reynolds Food Group, supplying seafood to the hospitality sector.
• Solstice High-end greengrocer brand acquired by Reynolds Food Group, retained as a specialist premium produce offering.

Quantifiable outcome

• Deliveries always on time
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Brakes Group: Major UK foodservice distributor owned by Sysco, serving pubs, restaurants, hotels, schools, and healthcare operators with a broad multi-temperature product range. Closest direct competitor to Reynolds at national scale, offering comparable fresh and ambient categories.
• Creed Foodservice: UK family-owned foodservice distributor supplying fresh, frozen, and ambient products to hospitality and public-sector customers. Comparable as a similarly positioned, family-influenced UK foodservice wholesaler competing for overlapping customer accounts.
• Bidfood: The UK's largest foodservice distributor (part of Bidcorp), supplying fresh, frozen, and ambient products to operators across hospitality, healthcare, education, and leisure. Directly comparable as a B2B foodservice wholesaler targeting the same customer verticals as Reynolds at national scale.
• Thomas Ridley Foodservice: Independent UK foodservice distributor providing fresh, frozen, and ambient ranges to caterers, hotels, and restaurants. Directly comparable as a mid-sized, privately held UK foodservice wholesaler with a similar multi-category offering.
• Country Choice: UK supplier of fresh, frozen, and ambient food products to the convenience, food-to-go, and hospitality retail channels. Comparable as a UK-focused fresh-food distributor targeting overlapping on-the-go and hospitality customer verticals.
• Caterforce: UK foodservice buying and distribution group serving pub, restaurant, hotel, and care-home operators through its member wholesalers. Comparable as a UK foodservice channel competitor targeting similar hospitality end markets.

Broad incumbents

• Bidcorp: Global foodservice distribution group and parent of Bidfood. Comparable as the multinational incumbent that operates Reynolds' largest direct competitor at UK national scale.
• Sodexo: Global food services and facilities management company serving corporate, education, healthcare, and leisure clients. Comparable as a broad incumbent in hospitality and institutional foodservice, with overlapping customer base and category breadth.
• Sysco Corporation: Global foodservice distribution leader and parent of Brakes Group. Comparable as the strategic incumbent operating broadly across B2B foodservice distribution with overlapping product categories and customer types.
• Compass Group: Global contract foodservice and support services major. Comparable as a broad incumbent operating across the same end-customer verticals (hospitality, education, healthcare, stadia, leisure), though primarily as a caterer rather than a distributor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/reynoldsfood/?locale=en_GB
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/reynolds-catering-supplies-ltd/?originalSubdomain=uk
• Instagraminstagram.com/reynoldsfood
• Xx.com/ReynoldsFood

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Reynolds Catering Supplies