Exclusive: Wellocks acquired by the William Jackson Food Group in ‘exciting' union

Ingredients wholesaler Wellocks has been acquired by the William Jackson Food Group.

Managing director James Wellock, whose father started the business in 1961, said joining the 167-year-old supplier marked an exciting step in Wellocks' development.

He explained: "We're really excited to be joining a family business which understands what Wellocks is all about and has family values very similar to our own.

"In terms of the day-to-day running of the business, it's very much business as usual and nothing is changing. The group has long admired our business and Jo and I will continue to run Wellocks just as we did yesterday, along with our finance director Michael Beech.

"The difference is that we now have a business behind us that brings even more knowledge and experience of the food industry and is able to invest in the long-term future of Wellocks and everyone who works here."

Norman Soutar, chief executive of the William Jackson Food Group, said: "We are a sixth-generation family business and are delighted to be welcoming Wellocks, a business we have admired for many years, to the family. We've been looking to enter the fast-growing premium segment of the foodservice channel and believe Wellocks, which has itself enjoyed recent growth, has really exciting potential for the future with its great customers and really innovative suppliers. We're really looking forward to helping Wellocks grow even further into the future."

Wellocks, which employs about 470 people nationwide, is based in Lancashire and delivers to more than 1,500 UK kitchens a day.

In May 2017 it was named one of the UK's top 1,000 fastest-growing and dynamic companies by the London Stock Exchange Group.

The William Jackson Food Group also owns online organic grocery delivery business Abel & Cole, bakery Jacksons, the Food Doctor and MyFresh.

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