Lomond Wholesale Foods

Lomond’s founders and MDs Sam and Barbara Henderson

Scottish wholesaler Lomond: The Wholesale Food Co has acquired Clarks Speciality Foods for an undisclosed sum.

The Glasgow-based wholesaler acquired the business to expand its presence in the high-end hotel and restaurant sectors.

Lomond, which has set a target to reach £90m of sales by 2028, recorded a turnover of £35.8m for the year to 31 December 2023. It said that adding the Clarks operations would see it hit £55m for 2025.

Clarks Speciality Foods has specialised in supplying hotels, restaurants and top-tier food businesses in Scotland for 25 years.

The acquisition follows Lomond’s expansion of its Port Dundas headquarters to meet rising customer demand.

The wholesaler carried out a “significant investment” to double the storage capacity of its facilities to 36,000 sq ft, as well as adding new solar panels and electric charging points.

“We have wanted to expand our presence in the high-end hotel and restaurant sector for some time and Clarks is the perfect acquisition to enable us to do this in an impactful and meaningful way,” said Lomond managing director Sam Henderson.

“Clarks stock and distribute some of the finest foods available to the very top tier of Scotland’s thriving hotel and restaurant trade. They have long been a specialist in the sector and we recognise the team’s expertise and passion for delivering exceptional customer service, which aligns with our own.

“With our highly efficient warehouse and distribution network and our diverse range of foodservice products, we feel we can enhance the service and availability to Clarks’ existing customer base. We will also be able to offer our existing Lomond customers the fantastic range of quality products that Clarks is so well known for.”

“Not only will this acquisition bolster our turnover, but it will also create a strong foundation for further growth in the years to come as we work towards our ambition to hit £90m turnover by 2028.”