From fork to fork
Wellocks of Colne, Lancashire, is a quality supplier of both fresh and dry ingredients
that is sourced from all over the country and abroad, mainly from local producers
and farms that take pride in what they produce. Headed up by James Wellock, whose
passion and drive for great quality food with traceability are key to his success
and to the superior taste of the food on your plate.
The Wellock family started their love affair with the food trade 62 years ago in
1946, when Eric Wellock had a traditional green grocers in Silsden. His son Richard
wanted to continue the family tradition and became a potato merchant, predominantly
serving local fish and chip shops and drew on the experience from his father Eric
and opened a stall on Skipton market in 1962.
It wasn’t until 1984, at the tender age of 19, that James joined the family business
with the remit of extending the business by supplying all types of fruit and vegetables
to greengrocers and market stalls. This proved very successful and as the R. Wellock
& Sons order book grew, so did the areas they delivered to and in 1995 they
began supplying fresh prepared ingredients to the restaurant, pub and hotel trade.
The step into supplying the food trade proved to be an inspired decision as it opened
doors to sourcing and supplying even more types of food and in 2005 they included
dry store products to the menu. Richard Wellock retired in 2002 but remains a big
influence within the business.
James said: "Our success is down to the 'perfect ingredient'. We spend a lot
of time sourcing the finest ingredients and the best products.
The later years
“We buy direct from the producers and take that individual story direct to the chefs.
When you put it all together the range is second-to-none in both size and quality.
It gives us the edge.”
Wellocks continues to thrive and grow and the key to their success is the extended
family they have created which includes their employees and brother Robert plays
a huge part in making sure the 24 hour turnaround from field to fork is maintained
with faultless delivery scheduling.
Their strong family values have enabled them to forge lasting relationships based
on respect and trust with all their suppliers both big and small, ensuring the best
service and produce in return.
James added: "We can put fixed prices in place for the full length of the season
which the supplier dictates. We can then go back to the chefs and tell them exactly
what the situation is. They are guaranteed the finest product and they know the
exact cost.
"Because we're a family business we've accumulated a lot of knowledge. A lot
of suppliers have worked with us for many years and we've developed a future with
them. Those long-standing relationships have produced great trust on both sides."
To date Wellocks supplies every Michelin-starred restaurant in the north and many
of the high quality restaurants, including The Star Inn, The Devonshire Arms, The
Box Tree, The Angel and the Yorke Arms to name but a few.