Brake Bros Explained

Brakes
Traded As:Brakes
Type:Food and Drink supplier
Foundation:1958
Location:Ashford, Kent, United Kingdom
Area Served:GB
Industry:Non-specialised wholesale food, etc
Parent:Sysco

Brakes (previously known as ‘Brake Bros Ltd’) is a food and distribution company supplying food, drink and other products mainly to the catering industry in the UK through more than 20 distribution centres.[1] It provides delivered wholesale and contract logistical services.[2] [3] [4] The company was created in 1958 and headquartered in Ashford, United Kingdom. Brake Bros Limited has been a subsidiary of Sysco Corporation since 5 July 2016 when the latter bought it for $3.1bn.[5] [6]

Its customers include schools, contract caterers, hospitals, hotels, independent dining establishments and various large restaurant chains.

Brakes

Brakes in GB comprises a number of businesses and brands:

In addition to the head office in Enterprise Park, Ashford, the business has offices and customer care centres across the UK. They also maintain an office in Covent Garden, London, and a number of offices and distribution depots around the UK and France, including separate head offices for each division.

List of Brakes UK depots:

Company history

2016Sysco acquired Brakes
2007Bain Capital acquired Brakes from Clayton, Dubilier & Rice.
2005Brakes becomes partner in Nectar For Business a loyalty card for businesses
2004Brakes opens its Food Innovation Centre in London Covent Garden - a first in foodservice the FIC is a place where Brakes presents its food and works on menu development to customers and is used for industry events.
Brakes launches Prime Meats its specialist meat division offering complete transparency and traceability for the caterer.
Brakes acquire Peters Foodservice Chilled Business Division and integrates it into the Brakes network.
Brakes acquires Wild Harvest specialist supplier to fine dining establishments.
2002Major rebranding took place. To project a strong, cohesive force within the food service industry, the business became known as Brakes.
The company's major shareholders (the Brake family) decided to sell their shareholding and the business was subsequently sold to Clayton, Dubilier & Rice for a subliming figure of £1.2 billion, an American investment company.
Purchase of Pauleys, fresh fruit and vegetable supplier.
1999Purchase of Cearns & Brown (an ambient supplier subsequently merged with Watson & Philip) and M&J Seafood (specialist seafood suppliers).
1998Acquisition of Watson & Philip Foodservice (ambient & chilled grocery products).
1995Purchase of Puritan Maid (contract distribution).
1992The beginning of a prolonged period of growth and development.
Acquisition of Country Choice (bakery).
Launch of Larderfresh (chilled).
First French company acquired. The purchase and consolidation of small French distributors continued over the next few years.
1991The company was looking outside of its traditional frozen food market with a view to further expansion. Accordingly, the name was changed once again.
Brake Bros Foodservice Ltd came into being on 12 March.
1986To ensure sufficient investment to allow for continued growth, the company was floated on the stock exchange.
1977The name of the company was changed to Brake Bros (Frozen Foods) Ltd on 1 July, to reflect the new direction.
1974Poultry processing ceased as the decision was taken to expand the frozen food side of the business.
1969With frozen food becoming more popular, the next logical step was to produce their own ready meals.
The cooked food factory opened at Lenham producing multi-portion meals, mainly aimed at the pub market, as well as meat products such as burgers.
1963Believing the freezing of food to be the way forward, the brothers began to distribute frozen foods alongside the main business of selling poultry.
1961Brake Bros (Poultry Packers) Ltd was incorporated on 30 October.
The business carried out poultry processing and packing, specialising in delivering poultry to caterers in Kent and London.
1958Business established by William, Frank and Peter Brake supplying poultry to caterers.
The brothers all had catering training and, being sons of licensees, had attended the LVS (Licensed Victuallers Society) School.

Acquisitions

UK Acquisitions since flotation in November 1986

Woodward Foodservice LtdSeptember2008
Peters Food services LtdNovember2004
W Pauley & Co LimitedOctober2002
SeafoodirectAugust2002
Scotia Campbell Marine LimitedOctober2001
BertelloPeterJuly2001
Roach Frozen FoodsMarch2001
Cearns & Brown LimitedJuly2000
M&J Seafoods (Wholesale) LtdMarch2000
Bayliss & SonsAugust1999
Watson & Philip FoodserviceOctober1998
G R Tanner Co (Tanner Frozen Foods)July1997
Dairyfresh Desserts LimitedMarch1997
Puritan Maid LimitedNovember1995
P&B Fine FoodsOctober1995
Woods Frozen FoodsMarch1995
Runnymede Frozen FoodsJuly1994
Jesse Robinson (Nottingham) LimitedFebruary1994
Country Choice Foods Group limitedMay1993
Bentley's Frozen Foods LimitedApril1993
Feathers Fresh 'n' Frozen Foods LimitedMarch1993
Deben Valley FoodsJune1992
Anderson's Frozen Foods LimitedMay1992
Double A FoodsApril1992
Peterson's Food CoMarch1992
First Frozen FoodsMarch1992
Everfresh Frozen Foods LimitedNovember1991
London Larder LimitedSeptember1991
Peter Hooper Frozen Foods LimitedJune1991
Midfish LimitedMarch1991
RossfrostNovember1990
Peter Shaw ProductsSeptember1990
CaterfrostJune1990
Elmdale Foods LimitedMay1990
Spring Valley Foods LimitedDecember1989
S H Wickett & Son LimitedOctober1989
VJG FoodsApril1989
Cardigan Frozen FoodsFebruary1988
Scotia Frozen Foods LimitedNovember1987

Notes and References

  1. BRAKE BROS LIMITED Competition. Hoovers. 2017.
  2. Web site: Aldrik. Philip. Brake Brothers sold to US investment firm. telegraph.com.uk. 6 October 2013.
  3. Web site: brakesgroup. https://web.archive.org/web/20111108221724/http://www.brakesgroup.com/about-us/about-us/. dead. 8 November 2011. brakesgroup.com. 6 October 2013.
  4. Web site: Brake Bros. simmons-simmons.com. 6 October 2013.
  5. Company Overview of Brake Bros Limited. Bloomberg. 2 June 2017.
  6. Brakes sold to US company Sysco in $3.1bn deal. The Guardian. 22 February 2016.