History, tradition and modern supply have combined to make a new force on Manchester Wholesale Market after Richard Jones Ltd bought out Fred Bridge Ltd this week.
The buyout means that the two oldest businesses on the market - with over 200 years of fresh produce wholesaling tradition between them - will now be trading under the Richard Jones name.
Richard Jones is currently run by Rob Swinnerton, who bought out then owner Michael Jones in 2001. It was Jones’s grandfather who set up the company in 1899 when he identified a market opportunity for washed carrots. He later moved into potato supply, becoming one of the most important potato merchants in the North West.
In the last 12 years, the company has tripled its turnover and now focuses on a wide range of products from potatoes, mushrooms, onions and other root veg to salads and exotics.
Swinnerton believes the takeover is a sign that there is still life and vigour in the wholesale trade, and he is optimistic about what the future will bring. In addition he has established a monthly group which meets on a Sunday to discuss seasonality, upcoming products and much more, and encourages younger people to get involved in the trade. The meetings allow up-and-coming grocers to get ideas about how to combat the supermarkets, while also encouraging local produce supply.
Crucially, Swinnerton has also set up a package-sharing scheme that allows new entrants to the trade to work together, and the initiative is bringing extra customers to the stand.
“It’s great to see this resurgence in young people,” he says. “I’m really enthusiastic about this job and the market is very busy.”
Fred Bridge, meanwhile, was established in 1888 but almost never became the business it is today. In the kind of escape normally dreamt up by Hollywood scriptwriters, the grandfather of current director Chris Bridge cheated death on the Titanic when his father refused to pay the fare, putting him instead on a cheaper sea liner as he set out to gain an export license from the Washington Apple Board.
In the mid 1960s Chris Bridge’s father and grandfather went into partnership, and in 1987 he set up his own business on Manchester Market, specialising in salads and tomatoes.
Bridge plans to stay with the company for a handover period over the coming months. “The business will fit in very well with Rob’s company,” he says. “They are both old businesses with real values.”
With the buyout boosting Fred Bridge’s resources, Manchester Wholesale Market can look forward to many more years of quality produce. -
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