We are part of Vestey Holdings, a 100% family business known for its pioneering of the food industry since the 1890s.
A rich heritage
Pioneering the food industry since the 1890s
Our origins date back to the 1890s, when William and Edmund Vestey established the Union Cold Storage Company. They developed cold stores across the UK and throughout Russia, the Baltics, and Western Europe. This enabled them to supply large quantities of quality affordable meat, poultry, eggs and fish to the growing UK population during the Industrial Revolution. In the early 20th century, the business expanded into China, establishing a huge egg processing enterprise from six dedicated facilities on the eastern seaboard. With their own fleet of Blue Star Refrigerated vessels, they were able to supply the bakery trades in the UK, USA, Europe and South Africa for over 50 years.
In 1911, the Vestey brothers expanded their services into meat production, processing and distribution. They acquired pastoral land and meat works in Venezuela, Australia and Brazil, with additional meat works in New Zealand and Argentina. They also introduced market-stalls on the Smithfield Market and butcher shops throughout the UK, steadily increasing to have around 3,000 shops by 1923. The Blue Star fleet grew to become one of the most iconic shipping lines in history, having been rebuilt twice in the years following the two world wars before being sold in 1998.
At the end of the century, the vertically integrated model by which the food business had previously operated was broken up. This led to farming, cold storage, and food import and distribution operating as stand-alone businesses.
One such stand-alone business, Angliss International, was formed as the first worldwide trading company within the Vestey Foods business. In 2010, the business’ head office moved to the UK where it still sits today. Since 2010, the business has been steadily expanding, opening offices around the world and growing our customer and sourcing base. To date we buy from and sell to over 100 different countries.
VESTEY FOODS INTERNATIONAL
Key milestones
1998-1999
Creation of Angliss International SAS in Paris
2001
Creation of Angliss Denmark and start of the worldwide expansion.
2007
Angliss companies are renamed Vestey Foods.
2010
Vestey Foods International Ltd was born from consolidating international Danish, French, and UK activities.
2011
Creation of the US Office.
2013
Allmex SAS merges with Vestey Foods International.
The Sunnydale Farms French fries and vegetables range is created.
2014
Creation of the Qingdao office and expansion of the Vestey Foods International team in Poland.
2017
Expansion of the activities into fish sourcing and trading.
2021-22
Creation of the Valencia office.
2022
New brand identity.
2022
Creation of the brands Cresswell and Sunnydalefarms.
