From sandwich van to £55m empire - Scottish family wholesaler grows with acquisition

A Glasgow-based wholesaling firm which started life as a two-person sandwich van enterprise has announced a move which will take turnover to a record high of £55 million next year.

Lomond: The Wholesale Food Co has acquired Clarks Speciality Foods in a deal which will enable it to expand further into the hotel and restaurant sector in Scotland.

Husband and wife team Sam and Barbara Henderson started out making sandwiches to supply forecourts, caterers and eventually the NHS in Glasgow before buying and distributing quality local food products.

Scottish wholesaler Lomond: The Wholesale Food Co has acquired Clarks Speciality Foods in a move that will see the Glasgow-based business hit a record turnover of £55m in 2025 and enable it to expand further into the hotel and restaurant sector in Scotland. | Photographer - Jo Hanley (UK)

Now this new acquisition comes after significant investment in the firm’s Port Dundas headquarters.

Managing director Sam Henderson said of the Clarks Speciality Foods deal: “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.

“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. We look forward to working with them and driving the business forward.

“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.”

Family-run Lomond Fine Foods provides a range of deli items, seafood dishes and bakery treats to hundreds of cafés, hotels, restaurants and caterers across the UK.

To keep up with demand, the firm doubled storage capacity at its Port Dundas warehouse and can house up to 4,000 pallets, supporting its aim of reaching £90 million in sales by 2028.

Henderson added that the acquisition would mean existing Lomond customers will have access to Clarks products.

The deal boosts current turnover, and also creates a foundation the Hendersons believe can support an ambition £90m turnover figure by 2028.