Staffordshire-based foodservice supplier First Choice Foodservice has been acquired by wholesale group Kitwave Wholesale Group as part of the buyer\u2019s continued expansion in the UK foodservice market.<\/p>\n
The undisclosed transaction will see First Choice become part of Kitwave\u2019s foodservice division, joining businesses including Creed Foodservice, Total Foodservice, West Country, Fife Creamery and Charles Saunders Foodservice.<\/p>\n
Flint Bishop advised First Choice\u2019s shareholders on the deal, with its corporate team supporting Steve Ainger, Nick Grantham and Wahida Ainger through the sale.<\/p>\n
Founded in 1988 and based in Burton upon Trent, First Choice has developed from a traditional cash and carry operation into a delivered foodservice business serving customers across the Midlands.<\/p>\n
Its customer base spans restaurants, pubs, hotels and caf\u00e9s, as well as residential homes, schools, universities and sports centres.<\/p>\n
The business has been led by managing director Steve Ainger, who took over from his father Eddie and oversaw its development towards a delivered foodservice model.<\/p>\n
The acquisition provides First Choice with the opportunity to continue its growth as part of Kitwave, a UK delivered wholesale group serving more than 42,000 customers through a network of 39 depots.<\/p>\n
Kitwave’s wider operations cover sectors including foodservice, grocery, frozen, chilled and fresh foods, alongside other wholesale markets.<\/p>\n
Ainger said: \u201cSelling a family business built over so many years is a hugely significant and emotional decision, and we could not have asked for better support than we received from Martyn and the team at Flint Bishop. They took the time to understand not only the business, but also what the sale meant to us and our families. Their advice was always clear and practical and their calm, reassuring approach helped us through every stage of the process. We are genuinely grateful for everything they did and would wholeheartedly recommend them to any business owner considering a sale.\u201d<\/p>\n
Martyn Brierley, partner and head of corporate at Flint Bishop, said: \u201cWe are delighted to have advised the selling Shareholders on the successful sale of First Choice Foodservice. The acquisition by Kitwave represents an exciting next stage for First Choice, providing a strong platform from which the business can continue its development as part of a larger UK wholesale group. It was a pleasure to support the selling shareholders throughout the transaction, and we wish our clients\u2019 and the wider First Choice team every success for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
Flint Bishop\u2019s deal team was led by Martyn Brierley and included Mark Wilcock, Robert Devine, Jess Ryan-Dawkins and Joseph Weston.<\/p>\n
Roy Farmer, Rebecca Jones and Kam Atwal of Dains LLP provided accounting and tax advice to the selling shareholders, while Kitwave was advised by Muckle LLP and KPMG.<\/p>\n
Kitwave was founded in 1987 and has grown through a combination of organic expansion and acquisitions of predominantly family-owned businesses operating in the fragmented UK grocery and foodservice wholesale market.<\/p>\n
The group was delisted from the London Stock Exchange\u2019s AIM market in March 2026.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A Burton-upon-Trent family business is joining a major delivered wholesaler as part of its continued expansion in the foodservice market<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":266702,"featured_media":2115607,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[57362],"coauthors":[127717],"class_list":["post-2115606","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-acquisitions","tag-featured-story","tag-staffordshire"],"yoast_head":"\n