Basil Fry & Company

What Basil Fry & Company does

Basil Fry & Company (legal entity Basil E. Fry & Co. Ltd.) is a UK specialist commercial insurance broker founded in 1970 by Basil Edward Fry, operating as a subsidiary of Jensten Insurance Brokers Ltd following its August 2024 acquisition by Jensten Group. The firm focuses on three verticals — removals and storage, self-storage, and commercial property — serving more than 2,000 clients and bringing £25m of Gross Written Premium (GWP) into Jensten at acquisition. Its service portfolio comprises insurance broking, claims management (via the in-house RCS / Removal Claims Service), risk management, and training and support, delivered by a team of 41–43 staff across direct sales, account-handler relationships, and an online self-service quote system for military personnel (Portcullis).

The firm differentiates via proprietary branded specialist products — MoveProtect for removals/storage operators, StoreProtect for self-storage operators (winner of the SSAA Excellence in Industry Award 2024), and Portcullis for British military personnel Marine Cargo cover — and through panel relationships with major UK carriers (RSA, Aviva, Allianz, AXA, Zurich) plus access to Lloyd's of London and Lonham Marine (Chaucer). Revenue is generated primarily through insurance broking commissions on placed business, supplemented by premium financing and bespoke scheme arrangements, some spanning nearly 50 years. The go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven, anchored by trade-association affiliations with BAR, SSA UK, and FEDESSA, and operates primarily in the UK with a secondary Australian footprint through Basil Fry Australia and a strategic Aviso partnership.

Name

Basil Fry & Company

Legal name

Basil E. Fry & Co. Ltd.

Website

https://basilfry.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Basil Fry & Company is a UK specialist commercial insurance broker founded in 1970, serving the removals, storage, self-storage, and military sectors with proprietary products (MoveProtect, StoreProtect, Portcullis) and in-house claims via RCS; it operates as a subsidiary of Jensten Group post-2024 acquisition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialist Commercial Insurance Broking

akta.pro primary industry

Captive Insurance Advisory & Management (FSAEADAF)

Keywords

• Commercial insurance broking
• Removals and storage insurance
• Self storage insurance
• Specialist marine cargo cover
• Claims management services

Headquarters

HQ city

Leatherhead

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Insurance Broking Commissions: Basil Fry acts as an insurance broker earning commissions from insurers for placing business. They have established panel relationships with major UK insurers including RSA, Aviva, Allianz, AXA, and Zurich, as well as access to Lloyd's of London markets.
2. Premium Financing: The company offers premium financing services to help clients spread the cost of insurance premiums.
3. Specialist Scheme Arrangements: Basil Fry has developed exclusive insurance scheme arrangements with insurers that are designed specifically for the industries they support. Some of these relationships span nearly 50 years.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Basil Fry & Company is a specialist commercial insurance broker placing tailored cover for UK removals, storage, self-storage and commercial property businesses, with sector-specific branded products MoveProtect and StoreProtect. It also runs an in-house removals and storage claims handling team (RCS) and offers specialist Marine Cargo cover to British military personnel relocating under the Portcullis brand. The firm earns commissions from a panel of major UK insurers including RSA, Aviva, Allianz, AXA, Zurich and Lloyd's of London.

Product overview

Basil Fry & Company is a specialist commercial insurance broker established in 1970, operating as a trading name of Jensten Insurance Brokers Limited. The company offers a portfolio of insurance products and services centered on three core sectors: removals and storage, self storage, and commercial property. The core service offering includes Insurance Broking, Claims Management (via RCS), Risk Management, and Training and Support. These are complemented by sector-specific branded products: MoveProtect for the removals industry, StoreProtect for self storage operators (winner of the SSAA Excellence in Industry Award 2024), and Portcullis for military personnel Marine Cargo insurance. The company provides access to major UK insurers including RSA, Aviva, Allianz, AXA, and Zurich, as well as Lloyd's of London.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MoveProtect: Insurance product for the removals and storage industry
• StoreProtect
• Portcullis

Products and services

• Insurance Broking Bespoke commercial insurance broking placing tailored cover with major UK insurers and Lloyd's of London for businesses in the removals, storage, self-storage and commercial property sectors, including customers' goods in transit and storage, motor fleet, property, marine cargo, liability and cyber cover.
• Claims Management (RCS - Removal Claims Service) Dedicated in-house claims handling for clients' customers' goods in transit and storage claims, providing active management and fair outcomes for all parties; available via [email protected] and +44 (0) 1372 385 970.
• Risk Management Risk assessment and risk-management advice delivered by a dedicated team, helping removals, storage, self-storage and commercial property clients select the most appropriate cover and avoid underinsurance.
• Training and Support Personalised training and support programmes for client teams covering insurance knowledge, customer-facing enquiries and operational best practice within the removals and storage sectors.
• MoveProtect Proprietary specialist insurance product designed by Basil Fry for the removals and storage industry, providing coverage tailored to moving and storage operations including customers' goods in transit and storage.
• StoreProtect Proprietary specialist insurance product for self-storage operators, providing unique coverage for customers' stored goods, property and business operations; winner of the SSAA Excellence in Industry Award 2024 and distributed in Australia in partnership with Aviso.
• Portcullis Military Marine Cargo Insurance Specialist Marine Cargo insurance cover for British military personnel moving within the UK, overseas or returning home, providing 'All Risks' with 'New for Old' cover and a £150 policy excess per claim, with online self-service premium quoting based on destination and replacement value.
• Cyber Insurance Cyber insurance cover for UK businesses, providing first and third party liability and breach response services, with annual premiums starting from £150 including IPT.

Quantifiable outcome

• Policies designed specifically for the removals, storage and self-storage industries, approved by major insurers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered notable, core and primary.

• AvisonotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 November 2024Aviso is a valued partner whose support and collaboration were instrumental in Basil Fry's StoreProtect winning the SSAA Excellence in Industry Award 2024. The partnership spans the Australian self-storage market.
• Jensten GroupcoreOthers · 6 August 2024Basil Fry & Company was acquired by Jensten Group, one of the UK's leading insurance distribution businesses. The acquisition brings £25m GWP, 41 staff, and over 2000 clients. Greg Wildman continues as Managing Director reporting to Jensten Retail MD Rob Organ. This is Jensten's seventh acquisition since August and aligns with their strategy to build sector-focused niches.
• RSAprimaryOthersOne of the panel of major UK insurers providing coverage across multiple insurance classes. Some relationships with insurers span nearly 50 years.
• AvivaprimaryOthersPart of Basil Fry's carefully selected panel of insurers providing service to customers when needed. Partner across multiple insurance classes.
• AllianzprimaryOthersMajor insurer partner on the Basil Fry panel, with exclusive scheme arrangements and coverage across various insurance classes.
• AXAprimaryOthersKey insurer partner providing coverage through Basil Fry's specialist schemes for the removals and storage industry.
• ZurichprimaryOthersMajor insurance partner on the panel, offering coverage across insurance classes with exclusive scheme arrangements.
• Lloyd's of LondonnotableOthersAccess to Lloyd's of London markets opens up a much larger market of insurers for clients and can accommodate unusual requests falling outside usual scheme arrangements.
• Lonham Marine Underwriters (Chaucer Syndicate 1084)notableOthersSpecial insurer requirements apply for policies underwritten by Lonham Marine Underwriters. Portcullis is the Marine Cargo open cover arrangement with Lonham (part of Chaucer group).
• British Association of Removers (BAR)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerBAR Affiliate member. Basil Fry is the broker of choice for BAR and many of its member companies. They sponsor BAR events including the Young Movers Conference and BAR Conference.
• Self Storage Association UK (SSA UK)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerActive supporter and sponsor of SSA UK events and awards. Basil Fry sponsors award categories including UK Independent Operator of the Year and delivers risk management sessions at conferences.
• FEDESSAnotableGTM or Marketing PartnerDiamond Sponsor of FEDESSA (European Federation) Conference, the biggest self-storage trade show outside the USA. Supports European industry networking and education.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Towergate Insurance: UK specialist commercial insurance broker serving niche and SME verticals with regional offices and dedicated sector practice areas. Most directly comparable specialist broker to Basil Fry in UK market structure and customer segments.
• BIB Insurance Brokers: UK specialist insurance broker serving commercial clients in defined verticals with dedicated account management. Comparable specialist broker operating with similar SME/mid-market niche focus and panel-based distribution.
• Lycetts: UK specialist insurance broker focused on niche commercial and rural/professional verticals with bespoke scheme arrangements. Closely comparable specialist broker model with vertical specialization and long-tenured client relationships.
• County Insurance Services: UK specialist commercial insurance broker serving trade and service-sector verticals with established insurer panel relationships. Comparable small specialist broker focused on UK commercial niche segments.
• Aston Scott: UK specialist commercial insurance broker for trade and professional sectors with bespoke scheme arrangements. Comparable specialist broker operating in defined UK verticals with dedicated account handling.
• Nexus Insurance Group: UK specialist insurance broker focused on niche commercial verticals with panel insurer relationships. Similar specialist broker profile serving defined UK verticals with bespoke coverage design.

Others

• Jensten Group: Parent company and UK insurance distribution consolidator that acquired Basil Fry in August 2024 as part of sector-focused niche strategy. Operates adjacent specialist broker businesses with shared distribution infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• Howden Group: Large UK-headquartered insurance broking group with specialist divisions across multiple verticals. Overlapping capability in commercial lines but operates at much greater scale and breadth than Basil Fry's niche focus.
• Arthur J. Gallagher UK: Global insurance broker with significant UK retail and specialist operations serving commercial clients across multiple verticals. Comparable in offering specialist commercial broking but at vastly larger scale and broader portfolio.
• Marsh UK: Global insurance broker and risk advisor with substantial UK operations across commercial and specialty lines. Overlapping in commercial insurance distribution but with global scale and broader portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Basil Fry & Company