'Sharing heritage and customer-first ethos': Northern Ireland third-generation wholesaler expands in Scotland with acquisition
Lynas Foodservice has acquired Edinburgh-based JB Foods adding scale, warehousing capacity, and service for Scottish caterers
Lynas Foodservice, the largest family-owned foodservice wholesaler for Northern Ireland, Ireland and Scotland, has announced a major step forward in its long-term growth strategy.
As a third-generation wholesaler, Lynas already employs more than 600 staff and supplies more than 5,000 catering customers such as hotels, restaurants, fast food and school kitchens from its headquarters in Coleraine and three distribution hubs in Galway, Lusk and Glasgow, as well as 11 food outlets across Northern Ireland.
To further strengthen its presence in Scotland, the company has acquired JB Foods, an Edinburgh-based foodservice wholesaler.
The move will provide Scottish caterers with enhanced product choice, stronger stock availability and a more resilient delivery network across the country.
Based in Loanhead, JB Foods is also a family-run wholesale business with more than 60 years’ experience delivering speciality ingredients, grocery essentials, dairy, frozen and non-food products to thousands of restaurants, cafes, coffee shops and bars across the east of Scotland.
Andrew Lynas, managing director, Lynas Foodservice said: “Lynas and JB Foods not only share a heritage as long-standing family-run businesses, but also a customer-first ethos.
"JB Foods is known for its focus on quality, Scottish provenance and customer service, all of which align closely with Lynas’ vision. “Bringing our two businesses together gives us the scale, infrastructure and Scottish warehousing capacity to deliver even better availability, broader choice and a stronger service for caterers right across the country. This is a significant step in strengthening our long-term commitment to Scotland and supporting future growth.”
The two businesses already share strong links as members of the leading foodservice buying group Caterforce. Caterforce offers five exclusive own-brands, available only to its members, creating a natural alignment for both wholesalers and their customers. JB Foods will continue to trade under its own name as part of Lynas Foodservice. Its leadership, Managing Director Lee Brown and Commercial Director Charlotte Brown, will remain in place, ensuring continuity and consistency for customers.
“We’re delighted to be joining Lynas and continue trading under our own brand. This move allows us to build on the range and service our customers know us for while benefiting from the scale, availability and product range that Lynas brings. It strengthens what we do today and lets us deliver the same personal, trusted service our customers rely on,” said Lee Brown, managing director, JB Foods.