James Knight of Mayfair

What James Knight of Mayfair does

James Knight of Mayfair is a London-based wholesale supplier of fresh, sustainably sourced seafood serving professional chefs, restaurant groups, hotels, event caterers, Japanese restaurants, and recipe box retailers across Greater London and the South of England. Founded in 1908 in Shepherd's Market and now operating from two depots (Vauxhall headquarters and Coulsdon, acquired in 2016), the company self-describes as London's largest independent seafood wholesaler and holds a Royal Warrant from HM The Queen. Its portfolio spans a core fresh seafood wholesale line, specialist sashimi capability (added via the 2013 Aberdeen Sea Products merger), pre-pack and smoked fish lines for retailers, seasonal premium products such as Skrei cod and chalk stream trout, and value-added services including special orders for events and chef training.

The business model is sales-led B2B, with phone-based ordering handled by fish specialists rather than order-takers, and tailormade fish preparation per customer specification delivered daily from 6am via an owned fleet of refrigerated vans (supplemented by electric trikes for inner London). Pricing is contact-based and bespoke per order, with no public price list. Revenue is generated from one-time transactions across multiple verticals rather than recurring contracts, with customer relationships spanning restaurants, hotel groups (including Royal Garden Hotel, Radisson, Hyatt, Intercontinental), high-profile event catering (Olympics 2012, BBC Proms), and recipe box operators.

Operational differentiation rests on artisanal talent (180 years of combined fishmonger experience across the management team), stacked food-safety and sustainability certifications (ISO 22000, BRC Issue 5 Grade A, MSC, ASC, SRA), and a vertically integrated cold chain from depot to customer kitchen. Technology is limited to delivery vehicle tracking software, standard CRM-adjacent phone ordering, and content marketing assets (website, Fish News newsletter, social channels). There is no disclosed external investment, and revenue is not publicly reported; the company is privately held and has grown primarily through organic expansion and two tuck-in acquisitions in 2013 and 2016.

Name

James Knight of Mayfair

Legal name

James Knight of Mayfair Ltd

Website

https://www.james-knight.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1908

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

James Knight of Mayfair is London's largest independent seafood wholesaler, founded in 1908, supplying fresh sustainably sourced fish daily to chefs, restaurants, hotels, caterers, and retailers across Greater London and South England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Seafood Wholesale

NAICS

Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers (42446), Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (311710)

SIC

Prepared Fresh Or Frozen Fish & Seafoods (2092), Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Seafood Wholesale (Fresh & Frozen) (AFAIADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Meat, Poultry & Seafood Wholesale (AFAIABAF), Seafood Specialty & Premium Cuts (Loins, Steaks, Portions for Foodservice) (AFANALAL)

Keywords

• Wholesale seafood supplier
• Fresh fish distribution
• Restaurant seafood supply
• Sashimi wholesale
• Sustainable seafood sourcing

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fresh Seafood Wholesale: Wholesale supply of fresh, sustainable seafood to restaurants, hotels, caterers, and retailers. Orders placed via phone, prepared to customer specifications, and delivered daily via own fleet of refrigerated vans.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

James Knight of Mayfair is a wholesale seafood supplier that sources, prepares, and delivers coastal-fresh, sustainably certified fish and seafood to professional chefs, restaurants, hotels, caterers, and retailers across London and the South of England. Orders are taken by phone by fish specialists, fish are prepared tailormade to customer specifications (including sashimi-grade cuts), and deliveries are dispatched daily from the Vauxhall and Coulsdon depots via an own fleet of refrigerated vans starting at 6am.

Product overview

James Knight of Mayfair is London's largest independent seafood wholesaler, established in 1908, operating as a unified product offering centered on fresh seafood supply. The core offering consists of premium fresh, sustainable seafood delivered daily to chefs, restaurants, hotels, caterers, and retailers across London and the South of England. The portfolio includes the pre-pack retail range for recipe box companies and independent retailers, specialist sashimi services for Japanese restaurants (enhanced by the 2013 Aberdeen Sea Products acquisition), seasonal Skrei Cod and Chalk Stream Trout products, premium native oysters, smoked fish, and wet fish staples. Added-value services include special orders for events, bespoke sustainability planning, and chef training programs. All products emphasize MSC/ASC sustainability certification, full traceability, and professional fish preparation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fresh Seafood Wholesale Supply of highest quality, coastal-fresh fish and seafood to restaurants, hotels, caterers, and retailers across London and the South of England, prepared tailormade to customer specifications and delivered daily via own refrigerated van fleet.
• Pre-Pack Range Pre-packed fish products for bulk orders, including wet fish staples like salmon and cod, designed for recipe boxes, butchers, delicatessens, and independent retailers.
• Sashimi Service Specialist sashimi-quality fish preparation service for Japanese restaurants, featuring meticulous storage, handling, and artisanal cuts with sustainability guidance.
• Skrei Cod Premium Norwegian migratory cod, line-caught during January-March spawning season, MSC certified sustainable, known for exceptional firm, white flesh.
• Chalk Stream Trout Farmed trout from Hampshire chalk streams (90% of world's chalk streams are in the UK), known for exceptional purity, clean flavor, and bright red color like salmon.
• Native Oysters Premium native oysters available September to April, sourced from locations including Carlingford Lough (Ireland), Brittany (France), Essex, and Scotland, known for terroir-driven flavors.
• Smoked Fish Carefully sourced premium smoked seafood products, including smoked salmon from Oaklodge.
• Wet Fish Fresh wet fish products including everyday staples and specialty items like monkfish and halibut for retail and foodservice customers.
• Special Orders Special orders service for events and caterers offering exceptional quality and price opportunities on purchases by the buyers team.
• Chef Training Training services for chefs and front-of-house staff covering sustainability, fish preparation, knife skills, and seasonal/sustainable catch methods.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of customers would recommend James Knight to a valued colleague (Ad ROI Research May 2018)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Carlingford OysterscoreOthersMain rock oyster supplier located in Carlingford, Ireland. Produces approximately 2 million oysters per year with meticulous purification and testing processes. Oysters are full, creamy and rich with distinct metallic zing.
• Whitelink SeafoodcoreOthersAdvanced fish processor based in Fraserburgh, Scotland. 80% of UK fish catch is landed in Scotland. Processes monkfish tails and primefish for James Knight.
• Marine Conservation Society (MCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK's leading marine charity working for healthy, pollution-free seas. James Knight collaborates with MCS on sustainability guides and practices.
• Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational non-profit organization promoting sustainable fisheries. James Knight sources MSC-certified sustainable seafood.
• Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization helping restaurants become more sustainable. James Knight was first wet fish wholesaler in London listed in SRA supplier directory.
• Craft Guild of ChefscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerJames Knight is a sponsor and business partner of the Craft Guild of Chefs. Supports training of young chefs through graduate awards and educational visits.
• Royal Society for Culinary ArtsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLong-term sponsor. Each year invites groups of young people looking to excel in food and catering industry for fish filleting and preparation training.
• RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution)minorOthersJames Knight financially donates to RNLI who save lives at sea 365 days a year. Supports coastal communities in UK and Eire.
• Project Ocean (Selfridges)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJames Knight was the only fish concession partner to sit on the Project Ocean steering group alongside 20 environmental groups including MCS, MSC, WWF, Greenpeace. Worked on reviewing every fish ingredient for sustainability.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Direct Seafoods: One of the UK's largest specialist seafood suppliers to restaurants and foodservice operators. Direct Peers in the same product category (fresh seafood wholesale) serving similar B2B chef and caterer customers across the UK with comparable value-added preparation services.
• M&J Seafood: UK foodservice seafood supplier serving restaurants, hotels, and caterers with fresh, frozen, and prepared seafood. Directly comparable in product mix, customer base, and B2B wholesale model to James Knight of Mayfair.
• Flying Fish Seafoods: UK-based specialist seafood supplier focused on restaurants and quality-led hospitality customers. Comparable fresh seafood wholesale model with similar chef-and-caterer target market and emphasis on sustainability and provenance.
• The Fish Society: Specialist UK seafood business selling fresh and frozen fish and seafood. Comparable product range and category focus; differs in having stronger direct-to-consumer and online channels alongside trade supply.
• H Forman & Son (Forman's): London-based heritage seafood business with salmon smoking and fish wholesaling heritage. Comparable as a London specialist fishmonger/wholesaler serving quality-led hospitality and retail customers, with strong provenance credentials.

Broad incumbents

• Bidfood: One of the UK's largest foodservice distribution companies with a broad product portfolio including seafood. Overlaps with James Knight in the foodservice seafood category but operates as a general-line distributor rather than a seafood specialist.
• Brakes Group: Major UK foodservice wholesaler supplying restaurants, hotels, and caterers across a wide product range including seafood. A broad incumbent rather than a specialist, but competes for the same B2B hospitality customers.
• Sysco Corporation: Global foodservice distribution leader with operations in the UK. Overlaps with James Knight in B2B foodservice supply but operates at vastly greater scale across many product categories rather than specialising in seafood.
• Cranswick plc: UK-listed food producer with significant seafood and prepared-food operations serving retail and foodservice. A broader incumbent with seafood exposure, but not a like-for-like fresh seafood wholesaler competing for chef customers daily.

Emerging players

• Wright Brothers: Restaurant and seafood specialist group operating restaurants and a wholesale/counter arm. Comparable seafood expertise and chef-customer focus, with growing direct-to-consumer and wholesale presence in London.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/jkmayfair
• Facebookfacebook.com/jkmayfair
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/james-knight-of-mayfair-limited
• Instagraminstagram.com/jkmayfair

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 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 James Knight of Mayfair