A Glasgow-based food wholesaler has boosted its growth ambitions by acquiring a firm which supplies some of Scotland’s most prestigious hotels.

Lomond: The Wholesale Food Co has taken over Clarks Speciality Foods, which supplies all of Scotland’s Michelin-star destinations, in a move which will see it lift turnover to £25 million in 2025.

The deal, which comes shortly after Lomond expanded its Port Dundas headquarters in Glasgow, fulfils Lomond’s ambition to expand is presence in the Scottish hotel and restaurant industry.

Penicuik-based Clarks, which was established 25 years ago, supplies a raft of high-end destinations, including Gleneagles, the Balmoral Hotel, Skibo Castle, and Glen App Castle, as well as farm shops, delicatessens, and caterers.

“We have wanted to expand our presence in the high-end hotel and restaurant sector for some time and Clarks is the perfect acquisition to enable us to do this in an impactful and meaningful way,” said Sam Henderson, managing director of Lomond: The Wholesale Food Co, who established the firm with wife Barbara nearly 30 years ago.

Read more:

“Clarks stock and distribute some of the finest foods available to the very top tier of Scotland’s thriving hotel and restaurant trade. They have long been a specialist in the sector, and we recognise the team’s expertise and passion for delivering exceptional customer service, which aligns with our own. We look forward to working with them and driving the business forward.

“With our highly efficient warehouse and distribution network and our diverse range of foodservice products, we feel we can enhance the service and availability to Clarks’ existing customer base. We will also be able to offer our existing Lomond customers the fantastic range of quality products that Clarks is so well known for. Not only will this acquisition bolster our turnover, but it will also create a strong foundation for further growth in the years to come as we work towards our ambition to hit £90m turnover by 2028.”

Lomond’s acquisition of Clark comes shortly after the firm doubled the storage capacity as its headquarters in the north of Glasgow to 36,000 square feet, allowing it to store up to 4,000 pallets. The company noted that the expansion supports its sustainability objectives.

“We have added roof space for solar panels which will increase our renewable energy capacity by 30%,” said Barbara Henderson. “We have also added electric charging points for our fleet of electric cars which takes us closer to our net zero goal. We are also halfway through our accreditation to become B-Corp accredited, which is a real priority for us as a business.”

Lomond, which is now in its 28th year, began life serving the lunchtime market, but in recent years has diversified into the wider foodservice and out-of-home sectors. It now supplies the food wholesale, education, convenience food-to-go sectors, as well as cafes, hotels, and restaurants across the UK.

The company also operates its own bakery, Cake, which supplies around 65 wholesalers which distribute to major retailers such as Tesco and Dunelm, including their coffee shops.