Overview
Thomas Ridley Foodservice is a long standing British foodservice wholesaler based in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England, with roots dating back to its founding in 1808 when Thomas Ridley opened a grocery on Abbeygate Street. Over more than two centuries the business has grown from a local shop delivering by horse and cart into a modern, family oriented company supplying thousands of catering and hospitality customers across the East of England, London, Kent and the Southeast.
Today the company is part of the Bidcorp UK group and the Caterfood Buying Group, enabling it to combine independent flexibility and personal service with the purchasing scale and operational support of a larger network. Despite this affiliation, it continues to operate as an autonomous business focused on customer service and quality.
Thomas Ridley provides a comprehensive foodservice solution with more than 8,000 stocked products, including fresh, chilled, frozen and ambient foods, meat, drinks (wine, beer and spirits), and essential non food items such as cleaning and packaging supplies. The business serves a broad range of sectors from education and healthcare to restaurants, hotels, pubs and leisure venues.
A notable strength of Thomas Ridley is its focus on customer centric service, offering tailored delivery options, digital ordering tools, menu support and allergen guidance. The company operates its own multi temperature fleet, enabling efficient single drop deliveries for mixed temperature goods, and has recently introduced technology to streamline logistics and improve real time delivery tracking for clients.
Sustainability is also central to its operations: Thomas Ridley actively recycles customers’ cooking oil, cardboard and plastic to divert waste from landfill and reduce environmental impact. It has achieved BRCGS certification and pursues continuous improvements in quality and environmental performance.
Overall, Thomas Ridley Foodservice is known for its blend of history, broad product range, tailored support and commitment to environmental and customer focused service in the UK foodservice industry.
