Eddingtons

Since Brian Rogers founded Eddingtons Ltd in 2000 we’ve always seen ourselves as a little different from other mainstream housewares suppliers. It could be something to do with our offices initially being sited in an historic mill here in Hungerford and currently located in converted farm buildings that has helped to create an informal, relaxed and friendly working environment here in rural Berkshire. Equally it was undoubtedly driven by Brian, Richard Walker and the early team obsessively hunting out the perfect Eddingtons tool or gadget for their growing Independent Cookshop customer base. “Functional but fun” doesn’t fully summarise the Eddingtons product mantra. Many companies could source a new product that worked, however the Eddingtons Holy Grail was to find a slightly quirky offering that not only worked as expected but also ideally brought a smile to the face of the Independent Cookshop buyer and to their customers. The team scoured the international trade show halls for such products and in tandem took on exclusive distribution for retail in the UK on behalf of many leading brands who wanted to work with a distributor who could act as their sales and marketing arm in the UK housewares market. As Eddingtons continued to grow through the noughties the breadth of product range offered expanded significantly with new products in new categories being offered to new retail channels. However this was always done with the objective of sourcing items that our customers referred to as “Eddingtons type products” ……innovative, differentiated, fun but never frivolous, and forming part of an eclectic mix of categories and ranges. In 2012 Brian Rogers wanted to step back from the business and sold a majority share to a new team who shared the Eddingtons’ vision and saw further opportunities for renewed growth. A year later the Eddingtons Catering Division was launched to focus on our many brands and products suitable for sale in this growing channel of distribution servicing restaurants, hotels and institutional caterers. In 2015 Eddingtons acquired Epicurean Europe and a major footprint in the growing outdoor entertaining category including barware, high end design led melamine tableware, picnic hampers and numerous other lines that enhance that outdoor dining and entertaining experience. Having just completed digesting Epicurean Europe we were back on the acquisition trail in early 2017 this time buying Gilberts Food Equipment, a company of some fifty plus years’ experience. Additionally we were lucky to bring on board MD Richard Gilbert to head up our much expanded Foodservice offering alongside our core retail business. We make no secret of our objective of continued profitable growth through organic sales increase and further appropriate acquisitions. Equally important to everyone at Eddingtons is that in the process of achieving this aim we don’t lose our Eddingtons cultural DNA built up over nearly twenty years. We know it’s an increasingly tough and competitive market in which we operate and that we have to continually strive for improvements in every area of our company. However that doesn’t mean that we can’t have fun in the process or that we can’t run a successful, growing, professional company in an open and informal manner. Since the start the Eddingtons team have wanted our customers, brand partners and suppliers to work closely with us on shared objectives to grow our joint business but ideally to enjoy doing so at the same time as we do with them. We hope that this philosophy will remain unchanged for the next twenty years.