'I joined the family firm for three weeks and never left': Owner of Northern Ireland wholesaler marks 80-years of successfully mixing tradition with innovation

When my father, W.H. (Bill) Andrew, founded our family business back in 1945, he probably couldn’t have imagined what it would become.

From a modest setup on Corporation Street in Belfast, moving to Hillsborough and onto our current Lisburn location, Andrew Ingredients has grown into a cornerstone of the baking and food industry in Northern Ireland, and beyond.

Now, as we proudly celebrate 80 years in business, I find myself reflecting on just how far we’ve come– and how much we still have to look forward to.

I joined the summer of 1967, I was given a job for three weeks to do the work of our storeman who was taking a two week holiday. I did my three weeks and didn’t leave.

At its heart, Andrew Ingredients has always been about people. My father’s ethos was simple: create a business that feels like a family, both for staff and for the customers we serve.

That sense of community, respect, and integrity still drives everything we do. We now employ 55 incredible individuals, we started with eight, and our customer base stretches across the UK and Ireland. We serve everyone from small artisan bakers to large-scale food manufacturers producing everything from pies and pastries to pet treats and spirits.

We’re proud to supply a huge range of top-quality ingredients – flour, chocolate, icings, vegan and gluten-free options, dried fruits, fillings, and so much more.

But more than that, we see ourselves as partners to the businesses we work with. Throughout our eight decades in operation, the company has consistently stayed at the forefront of the baking supplies sector, adapting to changing market needs and consumer demands.

We support innovation, offer hands-on advice, and work closely with our customers to help them create outstanding products.

That’s why we launched our WorkWith Innovation Hub and Bill’s Bakery. It’s a state-of-the-art test kitchen and bakery named after my father. He would be very proud to have his own bakery and we thought it was a fitting tribute to his legacy – mixing tradition with innovation was what he was all about.

It’s a space for collaboration, creativity, and real-world problem solving, providing comprehensive, hands-on solutions and expert advice to bakery and food businesses. Whether you're refining a recipe or developing a brand-new concept, we’re here to help make it happen and help feed the inventors with exceptional bakery products.

Looking ahead, we’re committed to staying ahead of the curve, as well as embracing opportunities and meeting challenges, the company will continue its focus on sustainability, innovation and customer satisfaction.

Future plans include expansion of our range of sustainable and ethically sourced products. We want to empower bakers and food producers to create high-quality goods while minimising their environmental impact. We are also investing in digital solutions to improve the customer experience and enhance their supply chain operations.

I’m incredibly proud of our journey. We’ve adapted with the times, faced challenges head-on, and stayed true to the values that started it all. Most of all, I’m proud of our team – their passion, expertise, and dedication is the reason we’re still thriving after eight decades.

As we look to the next 80 years, we remain committed to supporting the industry we love. Because for us, it’s not just about ingredients – it’s about people, partnerships, and the shared joy of great food.

Here’s to the next chapter...and many more exciting years to come.