Thompsons of York

Name

Thompsons of York

Legal name

Brandsby Agricultural Trading Association Limited

Website

https://thompsons-feeds.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1926

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Thompsons of York is a 1926-founded, UFAS-accredited British compound animal feed manufacturer serving livestock farmers across the North of England with direct-to-farm delivery and on-farm technical advisory support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Feed Manufacturing

NAICS

Other Animal Food Manufacturing (311119), Animal Food Manufacturing (31111), Animal Food Manufacturing (3111)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Livestock Complete Feed Milling & Blending (Cattle/Swine/Poultry) (AFADAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

All-Stock & General-Purpose Complete Feeds (Multi-Species) (AFADAIAB), Specialty Diet Formulation (starter/finisher, transition diets, heat-stress, high-forage, low-starch) (AFADAMAJ), Animal Nutrition & Feeding Support Services (On-Farm Feeding, Feed Management) (AFAEALAJ)

Keywords

• Compound animal feeds
• Livestock nutrition
• Feed manufacturing
• Dairy and beef feeds
• Poultry and pig feeds

Headquarters

HQ city

York

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Animal Feed Sales: Manufacturing and supplying compound animal feeds to British farmers. The company produces feeds for beef, dairy, poultry, pigs, calves, youngstock, and sheep. Revenue is generated through direct feed sales with flexible purchasing options including spot purchasing, reciprocal trading, strike price contracts, and group supply pool purchasing schemes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Thompsons of York manufactures and supplies compound animal feeds for British livestock farmers at its UFAS-accredited mill in Murton, York. The product portfolio covers beef, dairy, poultry, pigs, calves/youngstock, and sheep feeds, with both standard and bespoke diet formulations. The company complements feed production with on-farm technical support from FAR-registered Feed Sales Specialists and flexible raw material purchasing options for farm customers.

Product overview

Thompsons of York is an animal feed manufacturer and supplier producing compound feeds for British farmers. Founded in 1926, the company offers a portfolio of specialized feeds organized by livestock type: Beef Feeds, Dairy Feeds, Poultry Feeds (including layers and pullet rearing), Pig Feeds (covering gilt through finisher stages), Calf & Youngstock Feeds, and Sheep Feeds. The product line supports beef cattle, dairy cows, laying hens, broilers, game birds, pigs, calves, and sheep. All diets are formulated using stringent quality control procedures with in-house testing facilities, and the company offers bespoke diet manufacturing for enterprises requiring special attention. Feed Sales Specialists provide on-farm technical support and advisory services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Beef Feeds Calf, rearing and beef finisher feeds providing essential nutrients for top performance, excellent growth rates, and desired carcass characteristics in commercial and pedigree livestock. Available as standard or bespoke formulations.
• Dairy Feeds Dairy feeds designed to help achieve top performance in milk yield, cow health and fertility. Balanced to maximise the use of home-grown forage, with feeds available in different crude protein levels including dry cow nutrition.
• Poultry Feeds Premium quality feeds for laying hens, broilers, and game, including layers feeds, pullet rearing feeds, and a Split Feeding Programme designed to match nutrient requirements to laying cycles.
• Pig Feeds High performance compound feeds for pigs including gilt diets, dry sow diets, lactation diets, link and weaner diets (8kg-30kg), grower diets, and finisher diets trusted by farmers across the North of England.
• Calf & Youngstock Feeds Expertly balanced calf feeds designed to stimulate rumen development and encourage rumen papillae establishment for nutrient absorption and efficient growth rates. Includes cattle rearer and heifer rearing feeds.
• Sheep Feeds Specialised ewe diets balancing digestible undegradable protein with fibre, sugar and starch for optimum energy, alongside lamb creep feeds, lamb grower and finisher diets for successful rumen development.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of feed sales specialists are Registered Feed Advisors on the Feed Advisor Register (FAR)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CIEL (Centre for Innovation Excellence in Livestock)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Since 2023, Thompsons of York has been members of CIEL, enabling collaboration with industry specialists to accelerate the development of sustainable feed solutions. This membership supports the company's commitment to environmental sustainability and innovation in livestock nutrition.
• British Egg AcademyminorOthersThompsons supports organisations that encourage young people in the agricultural industry, including the British Egg Academy. This support aligns with the company's commitment to encouraging a new generation of farmers.
• BATA Group (Brandsby Agricultural Trading Association)coreOthersThompsons of York is part of the BATA Group of companies. BATA Limited trades under various brand names including BATA, South West Lancashire Farmers and Robinsons Equestrian. Thompsons operates as William Thompson (York) Limited under this cooperative structure.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wynnstay Group: Wynnstay is a UK agricultural supplier manufacturing compound feeds and offering feed inputs, arable products, and farm advisory services. Its feed manufacturing business is closely comparable to Thompsons' mid-sized regional mill model.
• Harbro: Harbro is a Scottish-based compound feed manufacturer producing beef, dairy, sheep, pig, and poultry feeds with technical advisory services. It is a directly comparable regional feed mill competitor operating in Northern Britain.
• Mole Valley Farmers: Mole Valley Farmers is a UK farmer-owned agricultural cooperative supplying compound feeds alongside a broader farming inputs range. As a farmer-owned co-op competing in compound feed, it is structurally and operationally comparable to Thompsons.
• J & J Bibby Agriculture: J & J Bibby is a UK-based compound feed manufacturer producing dairy, beef, and sheep feeds from its North West mill. It is a regional peer with similar scale and species mix to Thompsons.
• NWF Agriculture: NWF Agriculture is a UK manufacturer and supplier of compound animal feeds and blends, with a focus on ruminants and a regional manufacturing footprint. It competes directly with Thompsons for UK livestock farmer customers.
• ForFarmers: ForFarmers is one of the largest compound feed manufacturers in Europe with a substantial UK footprint producing feeds for cattle, pigs, poultry, and layers. It directly competes with Thompsons in the North of England and broader UK livestock feed market.

Broad incumbents

• AB Agri: AB Agri is the agricultural division of Associated British Foods and a major UK supplier of compound feeds, feed ingredients, and livestock nutrition services. It is a much larger incumbent that overlaps with Thompsons across multiple species categories.
• Cargill Animal Nutrition: Cargill's animal nutrition business operates globally and supplies compound feeds, premixes, and feed additives across multiple species. It is a broad incumbent with significant overlap into UK feed markets where Thompsons operates.

Regional players

• Countrywide Farmers: Countrywide Farmers is a UK agricultural retailer and feed supplier serving livestock farmers across the West of England and Wales. It overlaps with Thompsons in compound feed supply though in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thompsons-of-york

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Thompsons of York