JJ Foodservice pumps £15m into three new depots

The new centres will be operational this autumn, with the Dagenham, east London, branch highlighted as a state-of-the-art purpose-built facility, which is the tallest of all the company's 11 facilities and the third to be fitted with solar panels.

Dagenham is based just nine miles from the city centre and is based on the A13 near the River Thames.

Closer to customers​

The Newcastle-upon-Tyne site is 37,000sq ft and one mile away from the city centre, and Leicester is 32,000sq ft and three miles away from the city.

Both the Newcastle and the Leicester branches have been renovated with new fencing, cladding and roofs. They will both have showrooms, which will be fitted with touch screens for online ordering.

Chief executive officer Mustafa Kiamil, said: “Moving near the hearts of these cities will bring our business closer to customers.”

The new branches will be open every day for collection, including the weekends and bank holidays.

Merge two firms​

Earlier this year, the wholesaler and supplier announced a sourcing tie-up with fish distributor Unique Seafood​ for its London and south-west depots to merge the two firms’ operations – in a bid to boost business with fish and chips shops.

Chief executive officer of Unique Seafood Harald Nissen said: “With eight UK branches and three more scheduled to open in 2016, JJ’s national coverage continues to grow.

“Combining their expertise in distribution with our knowledge of the fish market will benefit everyone involved.”