Member Article

Wholesale director David retires after 50 years’ service

A director of a leading Peterborough-based foodservice wholesaler has retired after 50 years’ service at the company.

David Barton, 66, joined King Brothers Foodservice, which is a member of buying group Fairway Foodservice, as a 16-year-old in 1969.

The industry veteran is bowing out after playing an instrumental role in growing the firm, which now boasts a turnover of £6 million.

His career started with an interview in the kitchen of King Bros’ founder, Denis King, where he was employed on the spot, starting that same day.

David worked his way up to general manager within five years, and was made a director in 1991 to help develop King Bros into a fully-fledged foodservice business.

And upon his retirement, the experienced wholesale boss says that honesty remains the best policy in the industry.

He said: “My philosophy has always been to be honest and fair with people. If you do that, you’re more likely to have lasting relationships in business.

“I enjoyed every day of work at King Bros, with a huge part of the success being the fact that it’s a tight knit, family firm, with a relatively low turnover of staff.

“I oversaw a lot of changes during my career, but our focus on customer service remained the same, and I’m pleased to be leaving the company in a strong position to expand further.”

Martin King, director at King Bros, said: “David has been a mainstay of the business throughout its eras as a poultry specialist, frozen food supplier, and the modern day wholesaler it is today.

“Having worked with no less than four generations of the King family, his experience has been a vital factor for our growth.

“We owe him a great deal for a such a long, dedicated service, and wish him a long and happy retirement.”

King Bros is a family run business and has been based on the same site in Orton Waterville, Peterborough for 80 years.

It supplies pubs, restaurants, hotels, shops, cafes, and other catering outlets in Peterborough, south Lincoln, Norfolk, Bury St Edmunds, Cambridge, Milton Keynes, Northampton, and Leicester.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sam Harris .