Thomas Ridley Foodservice based at Rougham sold to multi-million pound food service group Bidcorp

The family-owned 200-year-old Thomas Ridley Foodservice has been purchased by a multi-billion pound food service group.

The company, which operates out of its 11 acre site in Perkins Road, on the Rougham Industrial Estate and has a 280-strong workforce, has been sold to Bidcorp UK, for an undisclosed sum.

The Thomas Ridley name will remain along with its staff.

The firm was started by farmers-cum-coal merchants and has always had a strong presence in West Suffolk.

It was started in 1808 by fenland farmer Thomas Ridley, who bought his first grocery shop on Abbeygate Street, in Bury St Edmunds. It has been handed down through six generations of the family and moved its wholesale distribution site to Rougham in 1972.

Its Ridley’s Fine Food store in Bury St Edmunds – now a Prezzo restaurant – closed in 1996 following the rise of local supermarket chains but the firm did open up part of its Suffolk warehouse as a Cash and Carry.

The business was owned by the Godfrey family, which sold it for succession reasons and will now focus on its property business.

It started to supply foodservice establishments in 1968, moving to its wholesale distribution site in Rougham, in 1972.

In recent years, the company opened a second depot in Kent, to strengthen its supply network in the South East and Greater London area.

It supplies customers across a wide variety of sectors, including healthcare, education, hospitality, hotels, restaurants and retail in the East and South East of England.

All the buildings, assets and vehicles will transfer to Bidcorp as part of the deal.

The original Ridley’s Fine Food store in Bury St Edmunds closed in 1996, following the rise in local supermarket chains and change in buying habits.

Bidcorp, which is headquartered in South Africa, also incorporates The Caterfood Buying Group, one of the world’s largest food buying groups.

In 2014, Thomas Ridley acquired Elveden Food Hub, including the Tastes of Anglia trading business, from Elveden Farms Ltd.

In 2018, the business celebrated 100 years of being a foodservice wholesaler.

Thomas Ridley Foodservice began operating under Caterfood Buying Group as of January 23.

All the buildings, assets and vehicles at its Rougham base will transfer to Bidcorp as part of the deal.

Managing director Justin Godfrey said the business could expand by a fifth just on its current footprint.

Today the  independent food and drink wholesalers operates across 60 HGV routes, supplying a wide range of catering and hospitality customers over the East and South East of England.

Under the deal, Thomas Ridley will continue to operate as a standalone autonomous business – keeping its name, brand, people, and culture, said Mr Godfrey, who is the great-great-great-great-great grandson of the company founder.

Thomas Ridley enjoys sales of about £80m and has grown year-on-year – while the turnover of Bidcorp UK is about £2bn.

As part of Bidcorp, the company now has access to one of the world’s largest food-buying entities and will be a member of The Caterfood Buying Group

Bidcorp UK’s growing network of independent businesses includes Nichol Hughes, Elite Fine Foods, Caterfood, South Lincs Foodservice and Cimandis.

Its latest acquisitions make Caterfood one of the main buying groups to serve the foodservice wholesale sector.

It serves customers across a wide variety of sectors, including healthcare, education, hospitality, hotels, restaurants and retail.

In 2014, Thomas Ridley acquired Elveden Food Hub, including the Tastes of Anglia trading business, from Elveden Farms Ltd. In 2018, the business celebrated 100 years of being a foodservice wholesaler.