Mowers Food Service

What Mowers Food Service does

Mowers Food Service, operating as John Mower & Co Ltd, is a UK-based B2B foodservice distributor of branded dry stores and ambient ingredients to professional kitchens. Founded in 1947 by John Mower in Central London's West End (Duck Lane W1), the company today serves high-end restaurants, hotels and leading catering outlets, supplying a catalogue of around 31 product categories spanning flour, pasta, sugar and sweeteners, oils, sauces, beverages, biscuits, confectionery, cereals, pulses, nuts, dried fruits, ethnic ingredients, truffles, portion control packs and adjacent non-food items such as cleaning supplies and disposable catering disposables. Product range also includes direct imports from Rungis market and worldwide branded sourcing, supporting the premium end of the London restaurant trade.

Operationally, the company runs an account-based sales model in which customer accounts are reviewed before activation, with orders placed via email, answer machine, fax or a customer portal. Distribution is executed from a single depot at Millmead House, Pindar Road, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, providing next-day delivery to London postcodes Monday to Friday and wider deliveries across Greater London, the M25, Hertfordshire, Essex, Kent and Cambridgeshire. The company charges no delivery fee and no case-splitting fee, pricing on a pay-as-you-go basis with specific tiers only disclosed post-account-approval. Headcount is in the 11-50 range and revenue is not publicly disclosed.

In 2024, John Mower & Co joined forces with Woods Foodservice Limited, a B Corp certified London foodservice distributor that has served the UK's top restaurants and chefs for over 40 years. Customer accounts are being transitioned to Woods and new enquiries are routed through Woods Foodservice, with long-tenured operator Roy Tweed stepping down as Woods takes over day-to-day operations. The combined entity positions itself around quality, reliability, sustainable practices and expanded product range, while the Mowers depot and Hoddesdon footprint remain part of the operating structure.

Name

Mowers Food Service

Legal name

John Mower & Co Ltd

Website

https://johnmower.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mowers Food Service (John Mower & Co Ltd) is a UK B2B foodservice distributor, founded 1947, supplying branded dry stores and ambient ingredients to high-end restaurants, hotels and catering outlets across Greater London and the home counties from its Hoddesdon depot.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Hoddesdon

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Foodservice Dry Stores Distribution: Distribution of quality branded dry stores and ingredients to catering establishments. Revenue generated through product sales with no delivery charges and no charges for splitting cases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Mowers Food Service (John Mower & Co Ltd) is a UK-based B2B foodservice distributor that supplies quality branded dry stores and ingredients — including flour, sugar, salt, pasta, cooking chocolate, oils, sauces, and over 25 other product categories — to high-end restaurants, hotels, and leading catering establishments in Greater London and surrounding counties. The company provides next-day delivery across London postcodes and into Hertfordshire, Essex, Kent, and Cambridgeshire at no delivery charge, with no fee for case splitting, and sources specialty products directly from the Rungis market and other international origins.

Product overview

Mowers Food Service (John Mower & Co Ltd) operates as a food ingredient and dry stores supplier to the professional catering industry, established in 1947. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of 31 product categories including bakery ingredients, beverages, cereals, cleaning products, dairy, ethnic ingredients, fish, flours, fruits, meats, nuts, oils, paper products, pasta, pickles, portions, sauces, seasonings, soups, sugars, tomatoes, truffles, and vegetables. They source and supply quality branded produce and import specialty products from Rungis market and around the world. The company provides next-day delivery services to London and surrounding counties with no delivery charges, serving high-end restaurants, hotels, and leading catering outlets. In 2024, John Mower & Co joined forces with Woods Foodservice Limited, maintaining their quality-focused approach while gaining access to expanded product range and sustainable practices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Catering Dry Goods and Ingredients Distribution
• Next-Day Foodservice Delivery Service
• Rungis Market and International Branded Imports

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Woods Foodservice LimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJohn Mower & Co has joined forces with Woods Foodservice Limited, a B Corp certified trusted name supplying London and the UK's top restaurants and chefs for over 40 years. Woods shares the company's values of quality, reliability, and customer care. This partnership provides access to more exceptional products, sustainable practices, and seamless service. The company is transitioning customer accounts to Woods Foodservice.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Henderson Foodservice: Henderson Foodservice is a UK foodservice distributor (part of Henderson Group) serving Northern Ireland and Ireland with a broad range of foodservice products. Comparable as a regional foodservice distributor but primarily operating in a different UK geography than Mowers.
• Castell Howell Foods: Castell Howell Foods is a Welsh regional foodservice distributor supplying hotels, restaurants, schools, and caterers across Wales and the borders. Comparable as a similarly sized independent foodservice distributor but operating in a different UK geography.

Broad incumbents

• Brakes Group: Brakes Group is a major UK foodservice distributor (part of Sysco) supplying restaurants, hotels, schools, and healthcare operators. It competes with Mowers in the same Central London foodservice segment, though with a far broader product range and national footprint.
• Bidfood (formerly 3663): Bidfood is one of the largest UK foodservice distributors, serving hotels, restaurants, and catering businesses across the country with a broad assortment of dry, chilled, and frozen products. It directly overlaps with Mowers' foodservice distribution model but at significantly greater national scale.
• Matthew Clark: Matthew Clark is a leading UK drinks and foodservice distributor serving pubs, restaurants, and hotels nationwide. It competes with Mowers in supplying on-trade hospitality accounts in the UK, with overlapping product categories in drinks and dry stores.

Direct peers

• Creed Foodservice: Creed Foodservice is a UK family-owned foodservice distributor supplying caterers, pubs, restaurants, and care homes with a broad range of dry, chilled, and frozen products. It is a similarly scaled peer with comparable product portfolio and foodservice customer base.
• Caterfood: Caterfood is an independent UK foodservice distributor serving the South West and South Wales with dry, chilled, and frozen products for hotels, restaurants, and caterers. Comparable as a regional foodservice distributor with similar product breadth.
• JJ Foodservice: JJ Foodservice is a UK foodservice distributor supplying restaurants, takeaways, and caterers with dry, chilled, and frozen goods. It is a similarly positioned mid-sized competitor in UK foodservice distribution, with comparable product range and customer focus.
• AF Blakemore Foodservice: AF Blakemore Foodservice is the foodservice division of AF Blakemore & Son, supplying pubs, restaurants, schools, and care homes with a broad range of products. It is a comparable UK foodservice distributor with similar customer segments and product portfolio.
• Woods Foodservice Limited: Woods Foodservice is a B Corp certified UK foodservice distributor supplying London and the UK's top restaurants and chefs for over 40 years. It is now the parent company of Mowers Food Service, sharing overlapping customer base, geographic focus, and product portfolio in dry stores and premium ingredients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/john-mower

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 Mowers Food Service