Firm goes from strength to strength as extended cold store heads towards full utilisation

Reed Boardall, one of the longest-established operators in the temperature-controlled food storage and distribution sector, is consolidating its strong presence in the market with the group seeing profits before taxation rise to £2.51m in its latest financial results as it moves towards complete utilisation of its extended cold store.

The increase in net profit to 1.9% of revenue (for the year ending March 2024) compared to 1.1% in the previous year, was achieved despite the highly competitive market as the business drove up volumes at its 168,000 pallet-capacity single site in Boroughbridge.

Having completed a multi-million-pound project in 2021 to expand capacity and create the most extensive and modern cold storage facility in the UK, Reed Boardall is now seeing utilisation volumes, turnover and profit, increase across all areas of the business in the last 12 months. In addition to storage and transport, demand for the group’s dedicated ancillary services, such as blast freezing, picking and packing, have also grown.

“After a tough few years which saw the industry reeling from the impact of Covid and then spiralling costs, we are now seeing the business entering calmer waters. It’s gratifying to start to realise the benefits of our significant investment in increasing capacity and strengthening our single site model,” commented Marcus Boardall, chief executive of Reed Boardall.

“While it continues to be a dynamic market with some of the major players moving between logistics providers, we are finding that the strength of our reputation for delivering product on time, every time, is attracting new customers as well as helping us to retain or expand our existing contracts. Having served the country’s leading food retailers and manufacturers for over 30 years, it’s reassuring to see that customers are continuing to prioritise quality of service and seeking a reputable long-term cold storage and transport partner.”

Reed Boardall group finance director Sarah Roberts added: “These latest encouraging financial results are a further demonstration of the success of our single site strategy which enables us to serve customers efficiently. Over the last year, we’ve increased volumes, meaning that we expect to be operating full utilisation of our extensive cold storage facilities by the end of our current financial year in the spring.

“During 2024, we have been less affected by labour shortages, largely due to the success of our inhouse driver training academy which has resulted in 80 new HGV drivers qualifying since our scheme began. We are continuing to invest in developing our dedicated team which is at the heart of our ability to provide exceptional service.

“We pride ourselves on our innovation and look forward to further strengthening our customer relationships as we remain committed to being at the forefront of the industry. We are approaching the year ahead from a position of strength, confident that our can-do attitude and solid reputation will continue to reassure some of the best-loved names in the British food sector that they are in the capable hands of a long-established, reliable partner.”

Based on a dedicated 55-acre site operation in Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire, Reed Boardall has grown to become one of the largest temperature-controlled food distribution businesses in the UK. With a fleet of 200 vehicles operating 24 hours a day, year-round, it delivers 12,000 pallets of frozen food daily from manufacturers across Britain, Europe and further afield to all the UK’s best-known supermarkets. It also provides blast freezing, picking and packaging services.