Brake Bros Limited is a distribution company supplying food, drink and other products mainly to the catering (or 'foodservice') industry in many countries, including the UK and France. It provides delivered wholesale and contract logistical services and has its own manufacturing operation.

Brakes Group

The Brakes Group is made up of 10 divisions:

• Brakes
• M&J Seafood
  M&J Seafood
  Part of the Brakes Group of companies M&J Seafood is a fresh and frozen seafood wholesaler based in Aylesbury in the United Kingdom.-History of the Company:...
  
  
• Country Choice (Including Bake & Bite)
• Pauleys
• Prime Meats
• Brakes Catering Equipment
• Wild Harvest
  Wild Harvest
  Wild Harvest is a 1947 film directed by Tay Garnett. It stars Alan Ladd and Dorothy Lamour.-Cast:*Alan Ladd as Joe Madigan*Dorothy Lamour as Fay Rankin*Robert Preston as Jim Davis*Lloyd Nolan as Kink*Richard Erdman as Mark Lewis...
  
  
• Creative Foods
• Brakes Logistics
• Brake France

In addition to the Head Office in Ashford and Group Head Office in Covent Garden

Covent Garden

Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...

, London, the group has offices and distribution depots around the UK and France, including separate head offices for each division.

Company history

2006	Brakes named Best Delivered Wholesaler at Scottish Wholesale Association's Achiever Awards.
2005	Brakes becomes partner in Nectar For Business a loyalty card for businesses. Brakes wins Best Wholesaler 2005 at Grocer Gold Awards.
2004	Brakes 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.
2002	Major 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, an American investment company. Purchase of Pauleys, fresh fruit and vegetable supplier.
2001	Major acquisitions in France, including buying group, Carigel.
1999	Purchase of Cearns & Brown (an ambient supplier subsequently merged with Watson & Philip) and M&J Seafood (specialist seafood suppliers).
1998	Acquisition of Watson & Philip Foodservice (ambient & chilled grocery products).
1995	Purchase of Puritan Maid (contract distribution).
1992	The 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.
1991	The 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.
1986	To ensure sufficient investment to allow for continued growth, the company was floated on the stock exchange Stock exchange A stock exchange is an entity that provides services for stock brokers and traders to trade stocks, bonds, and other securities. Stock exchanges also provide facilities for issue and redemption of securities and other financial instruments, and capital events including the payment of income and... .
1977	The name of the company was changed to Brake Bros (Frozen Foods) Ltd on 1 July, to reflect the new direction.
1974	Poultry processing ceased as the decision was taken to expand the frozen food side of the business.
1969	With frozen food becoming more popular, the next logical step was to produce their own ready meals. The cooked food factory opened at Lenham Lenham Lenham is a market village in Kent situated on the southern edge of the North Downs, halfway between Maidstone and Ashford. The picturesque square in the village has two public houses , a couple of restaurants, and a tea-room....  producing multi-portion meals, mainly aimed at the pub market, as well as meat products such as burgers.
1963	Believing the freezing Freezing Freezing or solidification is a phase change in which a liquid turns into a solid when its temperature is lowered below its freezing point. The reverse process is melting....  of food to be the way forward, the brothers began to distribute frozen foods alongside the main business of selling poultry.
1961	Brake 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.
1958	Business 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.

UK Acquisitions since flotation in November 1986

Woodward Foodservice Ltd	September	2008
Peters Food services Ltd	November	2004
W Pauley & Co Limited	October	2002
Seafoodirect	August	2002
Scotia Campbell Marine Limited	October	2001
Bertello	July	2001
Roach Frozen Foods	March	2001
Cearns & Brown Limited	July	2000
M&J Seafoods (Wholesale) Ltd	March	2000
Bayliss & Sons	August	1999
Watson & Philip Foodservice	October	1998
G R Tanner Co (Tanner Frozen Foods)	July	1997
Dairyfresh Desserts Limited	March	1997
Puritan Maid Limited	November	1995
P&B Fine Foods	October	1995
Woods Frozen Foods	March	1995
Runnymede Frozen Foods	July	1994
Jesse Robinson (Nottingham) Limited	February	1994
Country Choice Foods Group limited	May	1993
Bentley's Frozen Foods Limited	April	1993
Feathers Fresh 'n' Frozen Foods Limited	March	1993
Deben Valley Foods	June	1992
Anderson's Frozen Foods Limited	May	1992
Double A Foods	April	1992
Peterson's Food Co	March	1992
First Frozen Foods	March	1992
Everfresh Frozen Foods Limited	November	1991
London Larder Limited	September	1991
Peter Hooper Frozen Foods Limited	June	1991
Midfish Limited	March	1991
Rossfrost	November	1990
Peter Shaw Products	September	1990
Caterfrost	June	1990
Elmdale Foods Limited	May	1990
Spring Valley Foods Limited	December	1989
S H Wickett & Son Limited	October	1989
VJG Foods	April	1989
Cardigan Frozen Foods	February	1988
Scotia Frozen Foods Limited	November	1987

France Acquisitions since flotation in November 1986

Rault	March	2008
Bertello	July	2001
Valette SA S.A. (corporation) S.A. designates a particular type of corporation in various countries, mostly those employing the civil law. It originated in Spain during the 16th century. Depending on language, the abbreviation stands for various phrases meaning anonymous society, anonymous company, anonymous partnership, or...	May	2001
DISPAS (depot of trappes)	May	2001
Szymczak Nadreau SA	December	2000
Ingagel	December	2000
Voladis	November	2000
KING GEL	June	1999
Figel	January	1999
DISPAS (depot of trappes)	January	1999
DISPAS (depot of Sete)	May	1998
DRV SA (Vermes)	July	1996
Frigosud SA	August	1995
Odial SA	August	1995
Dorcier SA	April	1993
Picardie Volailles SA	February	1993
Cogehalles SA	February	1992
Anjou Surgelation SA	February	1992

External links

• Brakes Fresh Ideas Homepage
  • Brakes Group Homepage
  • M&J Seafood Homepage
  • Country Choice Homepage
  • Pauleys Homepage
  • Prime Meats Homepage
  • Brakes Catering Equipment Homepage
  • Wild Harvest Homepage
  • Creative Foods Homepage
  • Brakes Logistics
  • Brake France Homepage