Family owned drinks distributor acquired by listed group

Drinks wholesaler Wilds of Oldham has been acquired by Kitwave Group plc, an AIM listed delivered wholesale business.

Established for over 25 years and a family owned business, ownership transferred into the hands of Andrew and Annie Wild following the retirement of Stephen Wild in April 2020.

Wilds supplies pubs, restaurants and retail and is based at Westwood Industrial Estate in Oldham.

Currently, there are 35 members of staff, with 11 fleet vehicles that deliver to customers within a 50-mile radius of its warehouse in Oldham. In the financial year ended 30 September 2022, the business had a turnover of £10.2 million.

The acquisition will be incorporated into Kitwave’s existing Foodservice on-trade business H.B. Clark & Co. (Successors) Limited.

Paul Young, Chief Executive Officer of Kitwave, said: “The acquisition of Wilds of Oldham, will assist in the distribution of HB Clark’s alcohol and soft drinks products throughout the North West. Wilds of Oldham is a proven, successful business that will make a strong addition to our Foodservice division.

“At Kitwave, we remain focussed on capitalising on the fragmented UK wholesale market and will continue to identify the best opportunities to deliver the most value for our stakeholders.

“We are looking forward to working closely with the Wilds of Oldham team and integrating the business into the Group’s Foodservice division.”