Our Story

1920: The beginnings of the family business are a little sketchy but based on the Model-T Ford in our earliest photograph we date our beginnings to sometime around 1920 when George Henry Howarth's business was that of a fruit preserver, distributing to retail outlets from Prospect Jam Works in Huddersfield.

We're also a little hazy as to at what stage George Henry Howarth's son (also G H Howarth) joined the business and turned the business into a Green Grocers and Fresh Fish shop based in Moldgreen and then on Shambles lane in Huddersfield. However it is with the third generation of the business that we can begin to put some real confidence to dates.

1960: Richard G Howarth, son of G H Howarth (2) joins the green grocery and fresh fish business in Moldgreen Huddersfield with takings of £80 per week.

1965: Within five years Richard had modernised the shop through his own labours and had built up trade to employ five people showing good profit on a £22,000 p.a. turnover.

1966: G H Howarth (2) dies and Richard takes over the business.

1967 Richard Howarth & Sons Ltd. was formed now including 3 green fruit shops as part of the old Market Hall in Huddersfield. Turnover over £100,000, employing 15 full-time and 20 part-time staff.

1975: The chain of shops expanded to 10 encompassing the surrounding districts of Huddersfield. A freezer centre and Produce warehouse was opened also selling freezers and commercial microwave ovens under the name of Howarth Catering Services.

1980: Howarth Foodservice Ltd was established. New premises at Cross Green Road in Dalton, Huddersfield was purchased (and still exists as Total Foodservice's current operating premises to this day.) Over the following 5 years further buildings were acquired and converted to house deep freeze coldstores.

1984: Richard was a visionary of Fairway Frozen Foods Ltd a frozen food purchasing consortium trading along with five other members. (Now Fairway Foodservice with 22 member organisations.)

1986 - 1989: Richard's son Simon G Howarth joined the company as Manager of Howarth's Retail Freezer Centre and after 4 years moved to the main food distribution depot, working through warehousing and driving duties to become Distribution Manager.

1990 - 1996: David Pratt joined Howarth Foodservice Ltd as General Manager and after 2 years was elected to board of Directors as Commercial Director prior to attaining the post of Managing Director and Shareholder having introduced a range of chilled food into the product portfolio.

1997: Through his Directorship in Fairway Foodservice PLC and being a serving member of the British Frozen Food Federation, Richard Howarth was elected President of the European Foodservice & Distribution Group comprising of 10 countries with a turnover of 12 Billion Euros. In this capacity, Richard recognised the need to offer a 'Total' range of products including ambient, chilled and frozen goods and therefore began the process of looking for the right foodservice partner.

2002: Howarth Foodservice Ltd merged with Lawsons Ltd of Clitheroe and began trading under the new name Total Foodservice Solutions Ltd. with the addition of a Lancashire depot based in Chatburn, Clitheroe. 2 years later Matthew Lewis, the original owner of Lawsons Ltd, left the business.

May 2004: Graham Sheard, Michael Horne & Paul Aisthorpe appointed Directors joining Simon Howarth and David Pratt on the Board of Directors. 2006 Planning permission and land were acquired in Clitheroe and plans set underway for a new depot facility.

September 2009: Foundations laid on Ribble Valley Enterprise Park, Clitheroe for Total Foodservice's new Depot.

September 2010: Building began on the site of the new Clitheroe depot

September 2011: Build completed of the new 1.5 acre plot housing a 36,000 square foot state-of-the-art building.

October 2011: Lancashire operations moved and Total Foodservice Clitheroe Depot started trading from the new site at Ribble Valley Enterprise Park, Barrow, Clitheroe.

May 2012: David Pratt and Graham Sheard retire. Paul Nowell joins the Board as Operations Director and Maria Moriarty Eames joins as Marketing Director.

June 2012: Simon Howarth takes over as Managing Director.