Foodari
Foodari Limited is a family-owned B2B fresh produce distributor founded in 2007, supplying fruit and vegetables to restaurants, hotels, Royal Households, contract caterers, schools and hospitals across London and the South of England from its Kent headquarters using an owned chilled delivery fleet.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersCanterbury, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Foodari does
Foodari Limited is a privately held, family-owned B2B fresh produce distributor founded in May 2007 by Jonathan Parker and headquartered at Howletts Farm, Molash, Canterbury, Kent. The company supplies fresh fruit and vegetables to foodservice customers across London and the South of England, including restaurants, hotels, Royal Households, contract caterers, schools, universities, care homes, hospitals, pubs and visitor attractions. Its value proposition centres on provenance and traceability, with roughly 55% of produce sourced from Kent growers and up to 90% from the wider UK at peak season.
The operating model combines on-farm chilled warehousing at Howletts Farm with an owned fleet of tracked, chilled Mercedes Benz 315 Sprinter vans running six-day-a-week routes across the South of England. Customers order through e-ordering integrations with major foodservice buying systems, supplemented by phone (8am to midnight, six days a week), email and WhatsApp support from a sales team led by Adam Bayley and a customer-service function staffed 24 hours a day, six days a week by produce experts. The company holds the Royal Warrant of Appointment to His Majesty King Charles III, a Bronze EcoVadis sustainability rating (top 35% of global food and beverage companies), Terra Carta endorsement, and a portfolio of UK food-safety and farm-assurance certifications (LEAF, Red Tractor, SALSA, RSPCA Assured, Challenger Food Safety).
Foodari generates revenue primarily through wholesale transaction-based supply contracts with foodservice operators. Distribution is exclusively direct-to-customer via the own fleet, with no third-party logistics, and the business added a consumer-facing Home Delivery Division managed by the marketing team during the pandemic. The 90+ employee "Team Green" supports sales, warehousing, delivery and back-office functions, and the business is run without disclosed external investment, private equity backing or parent-company ownership.
Foodari firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Foodari
- Legal name
- Foodari Limited
- Website
- https://foodari.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Foodari Limited is a family-owned B2B fresh produce distributor founded in 2007, supplying fruit and vegetables to restaurants, hotels, Royal Households, contract caterers, schools and hospitals across London and the South of England from its Kent headquarters using an owned chilled delivery fleet.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Foodari industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Foodservice Distribution
- SIC
- Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)
- akta.pro primary industry
- National/Multiregional Broadline Foodservice Distributors (AFAIAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Noncommercial/Institutional Broadline Distributors (K-12, Higher Ed, Healthcare, Government) (AFAIAAAC)
Keywords
Where Foodari is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Canterbury
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Foodari business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Fresh Produce Distribution to Foodservice: B2B fresh produce distribution to restaurants, hotels, contract caterers, schools, universities, pubs and visitor attractions. Operates as a wholesale supplier with direct delivery to customer premises six days a week.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Warehouse Operative - Term-Time Only |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Foodari product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Foodari is a B2B fresh produce distributor that sources locally grown fruit and vegetables from its own Kent farm and a network of named UK growers, stores them in on-site chilled warehouses, and delivers them six days a week across London and the South of England to restaurants, hotels, royal households, contract caterers, schools, universities, care homes, pubs and visitor attractions. Orders are taken through an e-ordering platform compatible with major foodservice buying systems, supplemented by phone, email and WhatsApp, with 24-hour on-call produce expert support.
Product overview
Foodari operates as a fresh produce supplier offering a unified service model centered on sourcing and supplying outstanding fresh fruit and vegetables. The core offering is a comprehensive supply service targeting the foodservice and catering industries. Supporting capabilities include an online ordering platform integrated with major buying systems, chilled warehouse storage facilities, and a six-day delivery service across the south of England. The company also maintains a home delivery division for direct-to-consumer sales. All components are interconnected through the company's focus on provenance, traceability, and direct relationships with local growers in Kent and across the UK.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Fresh Produce Supply Service Core B2B wholesale supply of locally sourced fresh fruit and vegetables to restaurants, hotels, royal households, contract caterers, schools, universities, pubs and visitor attractions across London and the South of England. Includes sourcing from a named network of Kentish and UK growers, on-farm chilled warehouse storage, and six-day-a-week delivery via an owned tracked and chilled fleet.
- Foodari Home Delivery Consumer-facing home delivery service for fresh produce, enabling direct-to-consumer orders and managed by Foodari's marketing team.
Quantifiable outcome
- 55% of produce sourced from Kent, 20% from rest of UK
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Foodari
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Foodari technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Foodari partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- LJ Betts (Church Farm)coreLJ Betts has been growing salad leaves since 1930 at Church Farm in Offham, near Maidstone, Kent. Now run by the 4th generation of the Betts' family with Stephen Betts and Nick Ottewell. They grow a wide variety of whole head and leaf salad including Lollo rosso, Iceberg, Oak leaf, Cos/Romaine, Little Gem, Rocket, and Baby spinach. The farm is LEAF-assured and invests in wildflower meadows, solar panels, and water reservoirs.
- Newlands Farm (Fiona and Hugh Boucher)coreFiona and Hugh Boucher grow strawberries at Newlands Farm, Norton near Faversham. Hugh's family have been growing strawberries for 50 years and Fiona's family for 125 years. They grow more than 250 tonnes of strawberries a year on 18 acres. The farm is LEAF-assured (Linking Environment & Farming). Won 2017 Taste of Kent Award for Tastiest Strawberry.
- Hugh Lowe FarmscoreA family business started in 1893, Hugh Lowe Farms grow berries on sunny slopes overlooking the Weald of Kent. They are committed to farming efficiently, responsibly and sustainably into the next generation. Notably, they are the exclusive suppliers of strawberries to Wimbledon.
- Boundary Farm (Trevor and Stephen Bradley)coreRun by two brothers Trevor and Stephen Bradley, Boundary Farm has been growing vegetables for 30 years. Located in Wingham, their 550 acres in the Kentish countryside produces potatoes, cauliflowers, sprouts, cabbage, kale, and broccoli. They grow all sprouts and sprout tops for Foodari from now through to January.
- Sevenscore Farm (The Dyas Family)coreThe Dyas family have farmed at Sevenscore since 1966, situated at the base of the Isle of Thanet in East Kent. They grow various crops including asparagus (cut by hand early each day), onions, cauliflower, and cabbage.
- Chambers (Cane Fruit Growers)coreChambers is the largest independent cane fruit grower in the UK, supplying quality fruit directly from the farm to many of the country's major multiples. Located in Kent, they grow raspberries, blueberries and blackberries.
- Myatts of Mockbeggar (J Myatt & Co)coreEstablished in 1993 by John and Kim Myatt, growing specific eating varieties of soft and stone fruits. They work with LEAF to improve soil and water management and enhance wildlife habitats. Insect and bee hotels encourage biodiversity.
- Chequer Tree Farm (Fridays Eggs)coreFridays Eggs is an independent and family run business started in the 1970s that has grown into one of the largest free range egg suppliers in the country. They maintain highest welfare standards under the Lion Code of Practice and RSPCA assured scheme.
- Hoaden Court Farm (A C Hulme)coreA C Hulme is a family run business operating in East Kent since 1946. They grow apples, pears, plums, cherries and apricots. Currently run by Tom Hulme who is passionate about producing the best quality fruit with award-winning cherries, apricots and plums.
- Terra Carta (Sustainable Markets Initiative)minorFoodari is proud to support the Terra Carta from HRH The Prince of Wales' Sustainable Markets Initiative. The Terra Carta provides a roadmap to 2030 for businesses to move towards a sustainable future, outlining ten areas for action with nearly 100 actions for business.
- Maya's Community Food BankminorFoodari works with Maya's Community Food Bank through food donations of surplus produce fit for consumption. Food is distributed through a network of more than 10 food banks across Kent, supporting individuals and families facing food insecurity.
- The Brogdale CollectionsminorNational charity home of the National Fruit Collection. Foodari supports through their Heritage Apple Box scheme.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Foodari competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Dole plc: Global fresh-produce giant (formerly Total Produce) with significant UK and European operations. Competes indirectly with Foodari for premium foodservice accounts but at vastly larger scale and broader product mix.
- Sysco: Global foodservice distribution leader and parent of Brakes Group in the UK. Indirect peer that defines the competitive ceiling for national foodservice contracts and sets procurement standards Foodari must meet to win large accounts.
- AF Blakemore: Family-owned UK foodservice and wholesale business with broadline and specialist fresh divisions. Comparable in ownership culture and foodservice customer mix, but at materially larger scale.
- Bidfood: Bidcorp-owned UK foodservice distributor with national multi-temperature logistics. Competes with Foodari for contract-caterer and hospitality accounts, with broader product range and national reach.
- Brakes Group: Sysco-owned UK foodservice distributor offering broadline ranges including fresh produce to thousands of foodservice customers. Overlaps with Foodari's customer base but operates at much greater scale and assortment breadth.
Direct peers
- Mack Multiples: UK fresh-produce supplier to wholesale and foodservice customers. Comparable B2B fresh-produce distribution model serving overlapping customer segments in hospitality and catering.
- Berry Gardens: UK berry grower-marketing cooperative supplying major UK retailers and foodservice. Comparable as a UK-based fresh-produce supplier with deep grower relationships and quality-focused positioning.
- Wealmoor: Family-owned UK fresh-produce supplier with strong grower partnerships, serving foodservice and retail. Comparable in scale, ownership culture, and B2B fresh-produce distribution model.
- N&C Produce: UK fresh-produce distributor serving restaurants, hotels, and foodservice operators. Directly comparable in business model, target customer segments, and regional delivery approach.
- Watts Farms: Kent-based grower and supplier of fresh produce to foodservice customers. Closest geographic and product peer, with a comparable B2B foodservice focus and grower-owned supply model rooted in the same Kent region.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Foodari social profiles
Digital presenceFoodari compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance8 records
Foodari financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Foodari leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Foodari funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Foodari M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Foodari
What does Foodari do?
Foodari is a B2B fresh produce distributor that sources locally grown fruit and vegetables from its own Kent farm and a network of named UK growers, stores them in on-site chilled warehouses, and delivers them six days a week across London and the South of England to restaurants, hotels, royal households, contract caterers, schools, universities, care homes, pubs and visitor attractions. Orders are taken through an e-ordering platform compatible with major foodservice buying systems, supplemented by phone, email and WhatsApp, with 24-hour on-call produce expert support.
Is Foodari a public or private company?
Foodari is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Foodari founded?
Foodari was founded in 2007. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Foodari based?
Foodari is headquartered in Canterbury, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Foodari make money?
One revenue line is on record: fresh Produce Distribution to Foodservice.
Who are Foodari's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Dole plc, Sysco, AF Blakemore, Bidfood and Brakes Group. Direct peers are Mack Multiples, Berry Gardens, Wealmoor, N&C Produce and Watts Farms.
Does Foodari have an API?
No public API is recorded for Foodari.
What industry is Foodari in?
Foodari's product category is Foodservice Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAIAAAA, National/Multiregional Broadline Foodservice Distributors, with a secondary code of AFAIAAAC, Noncommercial/Institutional Broadline Distributors (K-12, Higher Ed, Healthcare, Government). Its SIC code is 5141.