A.F. Blakemore
| Private company | |
| Industry | Retail, wholesale and distribution |
| Founded | 1917 |
| Headquarters | Willenhall, West Midlands, UK |
Number of locations | 300+ |
| Products | Distribution, wholesale and retail of food and associated products |
Number of employees | 8,000 |
| Website |
afblakemore |
A.F. Blakemore & Son Ltd is a food retail, wholesale and distribution company, established in 1917. A.F. Blakemore & Son Ltd is the largest SPAR distribution centre in the UK and also the leading member of the Landmark Wholesale group. The company's headquarters are in Willenhall, West Midlands, UK.
Businesses
A.F. Blakemore & Son Ltd is divided into several subsidiaries with different emphases and goals:
- Blakemore Retail, which owns and operates circa three hundred SPAR stores
- Blakemore Trade Partners, which is a trading, marketing and sales support function for the 1,100+ SPAR stores across SPAR UK's Meridian & Welsh Guild
- Blakemore Logistics, which supplies stores across SPAR UK's Meridian & Welsh Guild and supports the wider A.F. Blakemore group
- Blakemore Wholesale, which operates 14 cash & carry depots across England and Wales, serving retail and catering customers
- Blakemore Wholesale Distribution, which provides retailers, vending operators and wholesalers with bespoke distribution solutions
- Blakemore Foodservice, which delivers catering products to schools, local authorities, public houses and restaurant chains nationwide
- Blakemore Fresh Foods, which is a meat trading, wholesaling and manufacturing operation that supplies the retail, food service and wholesale sectors
- Blakemore Fine Foods, which is a distribution operation that helps small Great British speciality food producers get their products to market
- Blakemore Design and Shopfitting, which specialises in the design and refurbishment of SPAR retail stores
- Blakemore Property, which deals with company site acquisitions and leasings
History
A.F. Blakemore & Son Ltd was started in 1917 as a counter service grocery store by Arthur Blakemore and his wife. After early success, they branched into supplying other groceries, at first with bags and other provisions, later with products for resale.
Arthur Blakemore was followed by his son, Frank, who in turn was followed by his son, Peter Blakemore. The company is still privately owned by the family today.
A.F. Blakemore & Son Ltd was one of the first companies involved in symbol group trading in the 1950s and opened some of the very first cash & carry depots in the UK in the 1960s.