AF Blakemore’s Heart Distribution arm is to be rebranded Blakemore Fine Foods in an effort to modernise the brand and build on its rapid growth.

The company, which launched seven years ago as the distribution partner for Heart of England Fine Foods (HEFF) but parted ways with the regional food group three years ago, is set to relaunch under the new name next week.

The announcement comes a week after HEFF announced it was going into voluntary liquidation following the loss of government funding.

Commercial manager Caoire Blakemore, who heads up the distribution arm, said that while Blakemore had taken on some producers when its partnership with HEFF ended, it had not had any dealings with the business since then and had decided to implement the name change “long before” the liquidation was announced.

The business now worked with 180 British independent producers and had broadened its geographical and retailer scope, distributing products into The Co-op and Waitrose, as well as farm shops, independents and organisations including the National Trust, added Blakemore.

The rebrand to Blakemore Fine Foods had been designed to better reflect the company’s increased geographical reach and “realign our relevance to reflect how our business has changed since it was formed,” she said.

“We grew by 55% last year and the growth plan is to target 47% this year,” she added. “Last year, the team did a great job of delivering that growth within our existing infrastructure.”

As part of the expansion, the company has moved into a new depot five times the size of its old premises, which would “provide plenty of space for future growth”, said Blakemore.

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