Af Blakemore & Son

Founded in 1917, A.F Blakemore & Son began operating in the UK as a grocery store. However, by 1934, the company started to concentrate its activities on the wholesale business. 

The firm achieved a turnover of € 1.4 billion and employs over 7600 people. 

A.F Blakemore & Son won several awards over the year which include:

• Education Partnerships Award (2019)

• The Store Team of the Year for SPAR London Road Bakery (2018)

• Symbol/Fascia Group of the Year (2018)

• Blakemore Foodservice - Independent Foodservice Operator’s Favourite Delivered Wholesaler (2018)

• Blakemore Retail - Multiple Community Retailer of the Year (2017)

Nowadays, A.F Blakemore & Son’s activities are classified under 8 divisions:

• Blakemore Retail: this division owns 280 SPAR stores across England and Wales and employs 5500 people. The stores are known for their variety of products and services and Blakemore Retail has become the largest independent convenience store operator in the country.

• Blakemore Trade Partners: the company assists other SPAR independent retailers

• Blakemore Design & Shopfitting: the company specialises in refurbishing SPAR stores in the UK based on individual demand.

• Blakemore Logistics: The company handles the delivery to over 960 SPAR stores and manages 3 warehouses. 

• Blakemore Foodservice: the company supplies multi-temperature food to various ubs, restaurants, schools and caterers in the UK. Blakemore Foodservice also manages its own distribution centre but makes use of the parent company’s centres as well.

• Blakemore Fresh Foods: Blakemore Fresh Foods is a wholesaler and distributor of fresh meat. 

• Blakemore Fine Foods: the company offers a range of speciality and fine foods from around 188 producers to shops, delis, cafes, butchers, restaurants and convenience stores. 

A.F Blakemore & Son acquired the chain of sandwich and coffee shops Philpotts in 2019. The chain comprises of 21 shops.

Furthermore it was also announced that A.F Blakemore & Son would be investing in 10 new vehicles to add to its existing fleet of 291 trucks and 205 trailers. A new warehouse of 165000 sq.ft will be operational by 2021. 

A.F Blakemore & Son has been supporting communities in various ways. The employees volunteer regularly in different projects for the welfare of people. In addition to this, A.F Blakemore & Son has also been financially supporting different charities and sponsoring several events. A.F Blakemore & Son also operates the Blakemore Foundation and for 2019, the foundation has donated around € 497000 to support various projects