Oliver Kay Produce

What Oliver Kay Produce does

Oliver Kay Produce is a UK wholesale fresh-food supplier that has operated for more than 30 years, distributing fresh fruit and vegetables, dairy, fresh meat and fish, and dry-store kitchen ingredients to professional chefs and caterers across the hospitality sector. Headquartered in Bradford after relocating from Bolton in 2020, the business runs seven distribution hubs across England, Scotland and Wales, all BRC A grade accredited, with temperature-controlled storage and a temperature-controlled delivery fleet supporting next-day, daily delivery throughout Great Britain. It is a trading name of BFS Group Limited and operates as a sister company to Bidfood within the BFS Group, leveraging shared depot infrastructure for national reach.

The company combines a physical fresh-produce operation with a digital ordering layer comprising a 24/7 website and a dedicated iOS and Android mobile application, enabling chefs to place orders, view past invoices, access allergen information and read market reports. Service differentiation is built around prepared-produce processing (chopped, diced and portioned produce matched to customer menus), close relationships with British growers such as Guy Poskitt at Firs Farm and Huntapac Produce, and content such as quarterly crop reports, weekly produce updates, seasonal recipe inspiration and an annual fresh trends report. Commercial mechanics are transactional B2B wholesale: credit accounts (monthly invoicing) for established customers and pay-as-you-go accounts for single-site operators, with a £175 minimum order for delivery and order capture via web, app, mobile or a 24-hour orderline.

The end market is horizontal across hospitality operators, including restaurants, hotels, care homes, gastro pubs and fine-dining establishments, with both independent single-site operators and national chain customers served. The go-to-market is sales-led, supported by relationship-based field sales, while marketing relies on content (crop reports, seasonality guides, recipe blogs, monthly fruit-and-vegetable campaigns), organic social channels and email newsletters. Distribution is direct-delivery, domestic-only, with Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland explicitly out of scope.

Name

Oliver Kay Produce

Legal name

BFS Group Limited

Website

https://oliverkayproduce.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Oliver Kay Produce is a UK wholesale fresh-food supplier serving chefs and caterers across hospitality with fruit, vegetables, dairy, meat, fish and dry-store ingredients, distributed daily from seven national hubs via an online and mobile ordering platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Foodservice Distribution

NAICS

Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing (3114)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030)

akta.pro primary industry

Hydroponic / Controlled-Environment Produce Wholesale (AFAIACAM)

Keywords

• Fresh produce wholesale
• Foodservice distribution
• Hospitality food supply
• Wholesale fresh fruit vegetables
• Dairy meat fish supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Bolton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

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 Wholesale Sales: Oliver Kay generates revenue through wholesale supply of fresh food ingredients including fruit and vegetables, dairy, fresh meat and fish, and dry store specialist ingredients. Products are sold directly to chefs and caterers with daily delivery service. Revenue is transactional, based on product orders with minimum order values.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Oliver Kay Produce is a B2B wholesale supplier of fresh food ingredients — primarily fresh fruit and vegetables (including prepared produce), dairy products, fresh meat and fish, and dry store/larder goods — for chefs, caterers and hospitality operators across Great Britain. Orders are placed through a 24/7 online platform or mobile app, with next-day temperature-controlled delivery from a network of regional UK distribution hubs serving England, Scotland and Wales.

Product overview

Oliver Kay Produce is a wholesale fresh food supplier operating for over 30 years, offering a comprehensive portfolio of fresh produce through a single unified offering. The core product portfolio consists of fresh fruit and vegetables (including prepared produce), dairy products (including plant-based alternatives), fresh meat and fish, and dry store/kitchen larder ingredients. The company complements its physical product range with digital platforms including an online ordering website and mobile app (available on iOS and Android) for 24/7 ordering. Additional services include seasonal crop reports, market updates, and recipe inspiration. The company operates BRC A-grade accredited facilities with temperature-controlled storage and next-day delivery throughout England, Scotland, and Wales from multiple UK sites.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fresh Fruit & Vegetables Wholesale supply of quality fresh fruit and vegetables sourced locally when in season in Britain and from overseas where required. Includes prepared produce, herbs, cresses, salad, edible flowers, and specialty items, supplied to chefs and caterers for menu execution.
• Dairy & Chilled Products Range of dairy produce including cheese selection (local, regional, British, continental, and commodity cheese), butter and spreads, eggs, yoghurts, milk and cream, sandwich fillings, soups, sauces, dips, and vegan/vegetarian/dairy-free/plant-based alternatives supplied wholesale to hospitality operators.
• Fresh Meat & Fish Fresh meat and portioned fish supplied through specialist sister businesses, including cooked meats, smoked and cured fish, pâté, terrines, pies, and pasties, delivered with the rest of the wholesale range to chefs and caterers.
• Dry Store / Kitchen Larder Constantly evolving kitchen larder including quality oils, charcuterie, preserves, artisan breads, and all commodity requirements such as tinned goods, rice, pasta, cereals, sauces, condiments, spices, dried fruit, nuts, olives, pickles, and specialist ingredients supplied wholesale to hospitality operators.
• Prepared Produce Range Pre-prepared vegetables and fruit including Asian Slaw Mix, Red Coleslaw with Onion, Crispy Florette Salad, Bistro Salad Mix, Chopped Spring Onion, Diced Butternut Squash, Diced Carrot and Swede, Peeled Onion, Melon Balls, and Tropical Fruit Salad, supplied to chefs and caterers to reduce kitchen prep time, maximise yield and reduce food waste.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced kitchen prep time through prepared produce services
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BidfoodcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBidfood is a sister company to Oliver Kay within the BFS Group. Oliver Kay serves as the fresh produce supplier of choice for Bidfood, with Oliver Kay moving to an existing Bidfood depot in 2020 to gain national fresh delivery capabilities through Bidfood's established infrastructure.
• BFS GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOliver Kay is a trading name of BFS Group Limited (Company No.239718). The group provides financial security and operational infrastructure, including shared depot facilities and distribution capabilities.
• Local Growers and ProducerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOliver Kay works closely with British growers and producers to source seasonal produce, including Guy Poskitt at Firs Farm in Yorkshire (parsnips and carrots), Huntapac Produce in Lancashire (carrots), and other specialist suppliers. Close supplier relationships provide access to best-quality produce at competitive prices.
• Specialist Sister BusinessesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOliver Kay works with specialist sister businesses to supply fresh meat and portioned fish, cooked meats, smoked and cured fish, enabling a comprehensive protein offering alongside fresh produce.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Henderson Foodservice: UK and Ireland foodservice wholesaler serving hotels, restaurants, pubs and care homes. Comparable product breadth across fresh, frozen and ambient categories with online ordering and next-day delivery, operating as a direct competitor particularly in shared geographies.
• Castell Howell: Welsh-headquartered foodservice wholesaler supplying fresh, frozen and ambient products to hospitality, education and healthcare customers across Wales and the West. Direct competitor with overlapping product range and regional distribution overlap.
• Reynolds Catering Supplies: UK foodservice wholesaler serving restaurants, hotels, schools and care homes with fresh, frozen and ambient ranges. Comparable B2B caterer-focused distribution model competing in similar geographies.
• Countrywide Foods: UK foodservice wholesaler supplying ambient, chilled and frozen products to caterers and hospitality operators. Comparable B2B model with national delivery capability and overlapping customer segments with Oliver Kay.
• Bidfood: Sister company within BFS Group and one of the UK's largest foodservice wholesalers. Directly comparable B2B foodservice distribution model, overlapping customer base (chefs, caterers, hospitality operators) and shared depot infrastructure, but operates at significantly broader scale across ambient, chilled and frozen categories.
• Brakes Group: UK foodservice wholesaler serving restaurants, pubs, hotels, healthcare and education. Direct competitor for Oliver Kay's hospitality customer base with comparable product breadth (fresh, frozen, ambient) and national depot network.
• JJ Food Service: UK foodservice wholesaler supplying fresh, chilled, frozen and ambient products to restaurants, takeaways and caterers. Closely comparable B2B model with online ordering platform and multi-category range, competing head-to-head with Oliver Kay for independent and chain hospitality customers.

Broad incumbents

• Booker Group: UK cash-and-carry and foodservice wholesale operator (part of Tesco). Overlaps with Oliver Kay on caterer supply but operates a much broader grocery and foodservice proposition, including retail symbol groups and convenience channels.
• Total Produce (now Dole plc): Global fresh produce grower, distributor and supplier. Comparable fresh produce wholesale activity with significantly larger international scale; relevant as a broad incumbent in the same product category.

Emerging players

• Bakkavor Group: UK-listed fresh prepared food manufacturer with overlap on prepared produce, salads and fruit categories that Oliver Kay supplies. Adjacent in the value chain — preparing fresh produce into ready-to-use formats — making it a relevant reference point for Oliver Kay's prepared-produce growth path.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OLIVERKAY_
• Facebookfacebook.com/oliverkayproducecompany
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oliver-kay-produce
• Instagraminstagram.com/oliverkayproduce

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Oliver Kay Produce