Bestway Wholesale
Bestway Wholesale is a United Kingdom food and drink wholesaler serving independent retailers, convenience stores, licensed retailers, and food-service customers.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Bestway Wholesale is the wholesale division of Bestway Group and one of the United Kingdom's major food and drink distribution businesses. It began in 1976, when Sir Anwar Pervez established the group's first wholesale warehouse in Acton, West London. The company subsequently developed a national cash-and-carry and delivered-wholesale network through organic expansion and a series of acquisitions, serving independent retailers, convenience stores, off-licences, licensed premises, and food-service operators. The business expanded early through new warehouses in Southall, Hackney, and Park Royal, followed by acquisitions including Bashin Cash & Carry in 1984, Crown Crest Limited in 1987, and Link Cash & Carry in 1988. Its scale increased substantially in January 2005 when Bestway Group acquired Batleys plc for £100 million. The transaction strengthened Bestway's national presence and, according to an Office of Fair Trading assessment cited in the company's history, made the combined business the fourth-largest national grocery wholesaler in the United Kingdom at that time. The merged company was reported to have held 9.9% of the overall grocery-wholesaling market and 15.9% of the cash-and-carry segment. Further expansion broadened the geographic and operational footprint. In 2010, Bestway acquired two Bellevue Cash & Carry warehouses in Edinburgh and Stirling and later acquired the Martex Group's cash-and-carry warehouses and food-service operation from C J Lang. In 2014, it bought Glasgow-based Sher Brothers and incorporated that business into the Batleys operation. These transactions gave Bestway a stronger presence in Scotland and added food-service capabilities alongside traditional wholesale distribution. Bestway Wholesale also became an important operator of retail symbol groups. In 2018, it acquired the assets and brands of Conviviality Retail from administrators after Conviviality's collapse. The deal brought retail identities and store relationships into Bestway's portfolio and was reported as protecting more than 2,000 jobs. The same year, Bestway acquired two Blakemore Wholesale warehouses, in Cardiff and Walsall. A major strategic step came in December 2020, when Bestway acquired Costcutter Supermarkets Group from Bibby Line Group. The transaction added approximately 1,500 stores operating under Costcutter, Mace, Supershop, Kwiksave, and Simply Fresh identities, as well as Costcutter and Co-op franchise stores. Bestway subsequently developed its own off-licence symbol brands, including Tippl and BB's, launched in 2021. During 2022, management discussed simplifying the symbol-group structure, and in December of that year the group confirmed a consolidation around Best-one, Costcutter, Bargain Booze, and Wine Rack. The wholesale estate continued to be brought under a common identity. In August 2023, the 22 Batleys sites were rebranded as Bestway, aligning the acquired network more closely with the parent wholesale brand. Bestway Wholesale therefore combines cash-and-carry and delivered wholesale with retail-symbol support, category distribution, and food-service supply. Its competitive proposition is based on national scale, a broad grocery, beverage, tobacco, licensed, and catering assortment, and support for independent businesses that trade under either their own names or one of Bestway's retail identities.
History
Bestway Wholesale traces its origins to 1976, when Sir Anwar Pervez opened the first Bestway wholesale warehouse in Acton, West London. The company established additional sites in Southall in 1981, Hackney in 1983, and Park Royal in 1984. It also grew through acquisitions, buying Bashin Cash & Carry in 1984, Crown Crest Limited in 1987, and Link Cash & Carry in 1988. The acquisition of Batleys plc in January 2005 was a pivotal stage in the company's development. Led by Bestway Group chief executive Zameer Choudrey, the transaction was reported at £100 million. An Office of Fair Trading report cited in the company's account described the merged company as the UK's fourth-largest national grocery wholesaler, with a 9.9% share of grocery wholesaling and a 15.9% share of cash-and-carry supply at the time. Bestway continued to extend its geographic coverage and service offering. In 2010 it acquired Bellevue Cash & Carry's warehouses in Edinburgh and Stirling and later acquired the Martex Group's three cash-and-carry warehouses and food-service operation from C J Lang. In 2014, Glasgow wholesaler Sher Brothers was acquired and merged into Batleys. The company entered a new phase of retail portfolio expansion in 2018. It bought the assets and brands of Conviviality Retail from administrators and acquired two Blakemore Wholesale warehouses in Cardiff and Walsall. The Conviviality transaction brought additional retail identities and was reported to protect more than 2,000 jobs. In December 2020, Bestway acquired Costcutter Supermarkets Group from Bibby Line Group. The transaction added around 1,500 stores trading under Costcutter, Mace, Supershop, Kwiksave, and Simply Fresh, alongside Costcutter and Co-op franchise outlets. Bestway Wholesale then launched the Tippl and BB's off-licence symbol brands in January 2021. Management considered simplifying the symbol-group estate in 2022. The resulting structure was confirmed in December of that year around four principal identities: Best-one, Costcutter, Bargain Booze, and Wine Rack. In August 2023, 22 Batleys sites were rebranded as Bestway. This reflected a broader effort to unify the wholesale estate under the Bestway identity while retaining selected retail-facing brands. Today, Bestway Wholesale operates as a UK-focused food and drink wholesaler with cash-and-carry, delivered-wholesale, food-service, and symbol-retail activities. It supplies independent businesses across grocery, beverages, licensed products, tobacco, household goods, and catering categories. The company remains part of privately owned Bestway Group.
- 2023
Batleys sites rebranded
[1]Twenty-two Batleys locations are rebranded under the Bestway name.
- 2022
Symbol-group portfolio consolidated
[1]Bestway confirms a simplified symbol-brand structure focused on Best-one, Costcutter, Bargain Booze, and Wine Rack.
- 2021
Tippl and BB's launched
[1]Bestway introduces two off-licence symbol brands.
- 2020
Costcutter Supermarkets Group acquired
[1]Bestway acquires Costcutter Supermarkets Group, adding a substantial symbol-store network.
- 2018
Conviviality Retail and Blakemore assets acquired
[1]Bestway buys Conviviality Retail's assets and brands from administrators and acquires two Blakemore Wholesale warehouses.
- 2014
Sher Brothers acquired
[1]Bestway acquires Glasgow wholesaler Sher Brothers and integrates it with Batleys.
- 2010
Scottish wholesale expansion
[1]Bestway acquires Bellevue's Edinburgh and Stirling warehouses and the Martex wholesale and food-service operations.
- 2005
Batleys acquired
[1]Bestway Group acquires Batleys plc, significantly increasing its wholesale market presence.
- 1988
Link Cash & Carry acquired
[1]The company acquires Link Cash & Carry.
- 1987
Crown Crest acquired
[1]Bestway acquires Crown Crest Limited.
Products and positioning
A national UK grocery and licensed-trade wholesaler supporting independent retailers, convenience operators, off-licences, and food-service businesses through wholesale depots, delivered supply, and symbol-group retail formats.
Food and drink wholesale · 1976
Bestway Wholesale
The core business supplies grocery, beverages, confectionery, snacks, tobacco, household products, and licensed products to independent retailers and trade customers through wholesale warehouses and delivered distribution. Its customer base also includes off-licences, convenience stores, hospitality businesses, and food-service operators.
Convenience-store symbol group
Best-one
Best-one is one of Bestway's principal symbol retail identities. It supports independent convenience retailers with a branded store proposition, wholesale supply, and retail-programme infrastructure while allowing participating stores to remain independently operated.
Convenience-store symbol group
Costcutter
Costcutter is a major symbol-store identity brought into Bestway's portfolio through the 2020 acquisition of Costcutter Supermarkets Group. It forms part of Bestway's support platform for independent convenience retailers and related franchise operators.
Off-licence symbol group
Bargain Booze
Bargain Booze is an off-licence retail identity within Bestway's consolidated symbol-group portfolio. It is focused on licensed retail and is supported by Bestway's wholesale and retail infrastructure.
Off-licence symbol group
Wine Rack
Wine Rack is an off-licence identity retained within Bestway's four-brand symbol-group structure. The format is oriented toward retailing wine and other licensed products through participating independent stores.
Brand decisions
2023
Rebranding of Batleys sitesStrategyBackground
Batleys had operated as an acquired wholesale identity within Bestway's estate since 2005.
Action taken
Bestway rebranded 22 Batleys sites under the Bestway name.
Aftermath
The move aligned the former Batleys network more closely with Bestway's national wholesale brand.
2022
Consolidation of symbol-store brandsStrategyBackground
Bestway's retail portfolio included several symbol and off-licence identities following the Costcutter acquisition and earlier transactions.
Action taken
Management moved toward consolidating the portfolio under Best-one, Costcutter, Bargain Booze, and Wine Rack.
Aftermath
The four-brand structure was confirmed in December 2022, simplifying the group's retail-facing identity architecture.
2020
Acquisition of Costcutter Supermarkets GroupM&ABackground
Bestway sought to expand its retail-symbol and independent-store operations alongside its wholesale activities.
Action taken
Bestway acquired Costcutter Supermarkets Group from Bibby Line Group for an undisclosed consideration.
Aftermath
The acquisition added approximately 1,500 stores across several symbol and franchise identities to Bestway's retail arm.
2018
Purchase of Conviviality Retail assets and brandsM&ABackground
Conviviality Retail entered administration, creating an opportunity to acquire its operating assets and retail brands.
Action taken
Bestway purchased the assets and brands from administrators PwC for a reported £7.25 million.
Aftermath
The transaction brought additional retail identities into Bestway's portfolio and was reported to safeguard more than 2,000 jobs.
Reported purchase price. £7.25 million (April 2018)
Recent events
- Unconfirmed
Bestway completes Costcutter takeover[2]
Reported:
Bestway Wholesale completed its takeover of Costcutter Supermarkets Group from Bibby Line Group. The acquisition followed Financial Conduct Authority approval.
Sources3 sources
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