W.V. Howe

What W.V. Howe does

W.V. Howe Limited is a UK-based wholesale and retail catering equipment supplier founded in 1945 by Walter V Howe and headquartered in Kings Norton, Birmingham. The company distributes a comprehensive catalog of commercial catering products spanning tableware, crockery, glassware, cutlery, kitchen utensils, refrigeration, cooking equipment, furniture, trolleys, health and hygiene supplies, staff clothing, and a Go Green sustainable range. It serves four primary segments — education catering, care sector, public sector, and private hospitality — with an emphasis on education-sector specialists. The business is differentiated by 80 years of continuous family operation, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications, an own-brand porcelain collection (Mimosa White, Simply White, Lisbon Bone), authorized distribution relationships with major brands such as Churchill, Steelite, Utopia, Arcoroc, Elia, and BioPak, and an in-house Technical Services department offering installation, maintenance, repairs, and compliance support.

The underlying technology is a conventional e-commerce distribution platform hosted at wvhowe.co.uk, featuring a deep product taxonomy with account registration, login functionality, and online ordering. Distribution is direct-to-customer across the UK mainland only, with free delivery on orders over £70 ex-VAT and express service options. Pricing is unit-based with a price-match promise and ex-VAT billing across budget to premium tiers. The revenue model is one-time transactional sales of physical goods (catering equipment and consumables) with no subscription, licensing, or recurring contract structure disclosed. The company is privately held by the Howe family, with no external investors, subsidiaries, or M&A activity recorded in the available data.

Name

W.V. Howe

Legal name

W.V. Howe Limited

Website

https://wvhowe.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

W.V. Howe is a UK-based, family-owned wholesale and retail catering equipment supplier founded in 1945, serving education, care, public sector, and hospitality customers with tableware, kitchen equipment, and consumables across the UK mainland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Catering Equipment Distribution

NAICS

Other Commercial Equipment Merchant Wholesalers (42344), Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers (42322)

SIC

Wholesale-Professional & Commercial Equipment & Supplies (5040), Wholesale-Furniture & Home Furnishings (5020)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFAIALAG

Bar & Beverage Service Supplies Wholesale

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Distribution & Wholesale/Foodservice & Restaurant Supply Wholesale

Keywords

• Commercial catering equipment
• Catering supplies wholesale
• Hospitality tableware
• Kitchen equipment supply
• Food service supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Kings Norton

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. Catering Equipment Sales: Wholesale and retail distribution of catering equipment, tableware, crockery, glassware, cutlery, kitchen equipment, and related supplies to food service businesses across the UK public and private sectors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

W.V. Howe is a wholesale and retail catering equipment supplier that distributes commercial catering products — including tableware, glassware, cutlery, kitchen utensils, cooking and refrigeration equipment, furniture, hygiene supplies, facilities management items, and workwear — to UK public and private sector food service customers. The business operates primarily through its e-commerce platform wvhowe.co.uk with trade account functionality and adds value through an in-house Technical Services department offering installation, maintenance, repair, and compliance support.

Product overview

W.V. Howe is a catering equipment supplier established in 1945, offering a comprehensive portfolio of commercial catering products. The company operates as a single unified offering combining an extensive physical product catalog with technical support services. The product range spans multiple categories including Education & Care equipment, own-brand crockery (Mimosa White, Simply White), licensed brands (Churchill Alchemy/Whiteware/Decorated, Steelite, Utopia, Arcoroc, Elia, Porcelite), glassware, cutlery, service display items, utensils, cooking/refrigeration equipment, furniture, trolleys, health & hygiene products, facilities management items, staff clothing, and a Go Green sustainable product line featuring Biopak eco-friendly disposable cups. The portfolio also includes a Technical Services department offering installation, maintenance, repairs, and compliance support. The company serves both public and private sector clients across the UK.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• W V Howe Tableware: White porcelain tableware collection including Lisbon Bone, Mimosa White, and Simply White ranges
• Biopak - It Doesn't Cost The Earth

Products and services

• Education & Care Catering Equipment A comprehensive range of catering equipment curated for education and care sectors, including reusable melamine tableware, reusable plastic tableware, stainless steel cutlery, serving trays, equipment, and service display items designed for high-volume, durable use in schools, colleges, universities, care homes, and healthcare facilities.
• Crockery Tableware Extensive range of commercial crockery and tableware including own-brand WV Howe porcelain (Mimosa White, Simply White, Various Brands), Churchill (Whiteware, Decorated, Alchemy ranges), Steelite, Utopia, Arcoroc, Elia, and Porcelite products for fine dining and catering across hospitality venues.
• Glassware & Barware Complete range of commercial glassware including wine glasses (Cabernet, Princesa, Toughened Saxon, Imperial, Reserva, Polycarbonate), beer glasses (Dimple, Martigues Pilsner, Nonik, Tulip, Polycarbonate), tumblers, speciality glassware, jugs, carafes, decanters, and barware equipment for hospitality venues.
• Cutlery Wide selection of commercial cutlery including own-brand WV Howe ranges (Britannia, Windsor, Steak Knives), plus Churchill, Elia, Amefa, Sunnex, Parish Patterns, and Utopia collections spanning stainless steel and premium finishes for hospitality and care settings.
• Service & Display Products Products for food service presentation including table-top items, serving trays, buffet equipment, beverage servers, ceramic/plastic/metal display solutions, natural materials (acacia, slate, wood), menus, signs, baskets, risers, platters, and service accessories.
• Kitchen Utensils Kitchen utensils and tools including bakeware, cookware, gastronorm containers and lids, storage containers, serving tools, preparation tools, knives, chopping boards, pastry equipment, thermometers, and disposable items for commercial kitchen operations.
• Commercial Catering Equipment Commercial catering equipment including cooking equipment (barbecues, bratt pans, fryers, grills, induction, microwaves, ovens, toasters), beverage equipment, preparation machines, servery counters, refrigeration, insulated transportation, and warewashing machines for professional food service.
• Catering Furniture Commercial catering furniture including Sico staging units, premium and utility tables, premium and utility chairs, lockers, and folding table seating solutions for hospitality and event venues.
• Trolleys, Tables & Shelving Storage and transport equipment including Hupfer shelving systems, general purpose trolleys, clearing trolleys, storage solutions, shelving, stainless steel tables, gastronorm trolleys, and plate/tray dispensers.
• Health & Hygiene Supplies Health and hygiene products for food service including personal health items, allergen management products (including Natasha's Law compliance solutions), hygiene supplies, first aid kits, signs, and sanitizer dispensers.
• Facilities Management Supplies Facilities management supplies including cleaning equipment (floorcare, buckets, cloths), bins (step-on, slim jim, general), steps, mats, barriers, fly/insect killers, and AdBlue fleet maintenance products.
• Staff Clothing & Workwear Staff uniforms and workwear including aprons, tabards, chefs jackets (standard and superior), headwear, neckwear, safety shoes, and trousers for catering staff.
• Go Green Sustainable Range Eco-friendly catering products including Biopak Bioboard, Biocane, wood & paper items, hot paper cups, polycarbonate & polypropylene items, melamine tableware, eco food containers, and stainless steel cutlery for sustainability-focused food service operations.
• Technical Services Technical support services including installation, maintenance, repairs, and compliance support for catering equipment sold by the company.
• Biopak Coffee Cups Sustainable disposable cups within the Biopak range, certified industrially compostable to EN13432 European standards, designed for the circular economy. Includes single wall, double wall, and Art Series biocups in 8oz, 12oz, and 16oz sizes.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Bid Foodservice: Bid Foodservice (formerly Bidvest Foodservice) is one of the UK's largest broadline foodservice wholesalers. While centred on food, its non-food lines (cleaning, hygiene, light disposables) overlap with W.V. Howe's facilities management and hygiene ranges in the same public-sector and hospitality accounts.
• 3663 (formerly 366 Catering): 3663 is a major UK broadline foodservice distributor serving education, care, and hospitality customers. Its non-food equipment and consumables categories overlap with W.V. Howe's catering equipment and tableware offerings, particularly in institutional accounts.
• Brakes Group: Brakes Group is a Sysco-owned broadline foodservice distributor serving UK pubs, restaurants, hotels, and healthcare. It overlaps with W.V. Howe on non-food catering supplies, tableware, and light equipment, particularly for contract caterers and large private hospitality accounts.
• Booker Wholesale: Booker is a major UK cash-and-carry and delivered wholesaler serving independent pubs, restaurants, and caterers. While primarily a broadline grocer, its non-food range covers cups, disposables, and light catering consumables that overlap with W.V. Howe's commodity offerings.

Direct peers

• Alliance Foodservice: Alliance Foodservice is a UK online catering supplier offering tableware, glassware, kitchen equipment and disposables to a similar hospitality and education customer base. It is a direct competitor to W.V. Howe's e-commerce channel with overlapping brands and price-driven positioning.
• Caterspeed: Caterspeed is a UK online caterer equipment and supply retailer covering tableware, cookware, and kitchenware at competitive price points. It competes with W.V. Howe for the same price-sensitive SMB hospitality and education buyers, particularly via web-led acquisition.
• Nisbets: Nisbets is the UK's largest specialist catering equipment retailer and wholesaler, operating both online and a multi-branch network. It directly competes with W.V. Howe across crockery, glassware, cutlery, kitchen equipment, and furniture sold to UK hospitality and education buyers, with a very similar SKU catalogue and price-match promise.
• Lockharts Catering Equipment: Lockharts is a UK-based catering equipment and supply specialist with a comparable catalogue of cooking equipment, refrigeration, tableware, and consumables. It targets similar hospitality and education/care customers, making it a head-to-head peer for W.V. Howe especially in northern England accounts.
• Total Catering Supplies: Total Catering Supplies is a UK online caterer equipment and consumables retailer spanning tableware, kitchenware, barware, and disposables. It targets a similar SMB hospitality and education customer profile to W.V. Howe with overlapping brands and price-driven web positioning.

Others

• Bunzl UK: Bunzl is a global distribution and outsourcing specialist that supplies catering disposables, hygiene, and foodservice consumables to UK operators. It is adjacent rather than directly competitive but parallels W.V. Howe in serving institutional and hospitality accounts with non-food consumables.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wvhowe
• Facebookfacebook.com/wvhowe

Compliance2 records

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 W.V. Howe