Fresho Deal Creates New UK Food Wholesale Tech Powerhouse

Fresho has acquired Nation Wilcox in a move that creates what the company says is the UK’s leading software platform for food wholesalers.

The deal brings together Fresho’s global order management platform for fresh food wholesalers with Nation Wilcox, a long-established ERP software provider serving food suppliers across the UK.

The combined business now has a customer base of more than 400 businesses and handles over £2 billion in annual gross merchandise value across the UK.

Fresho’s platform brings ordering, picking, invoicing and payments into one system, using AI to automate order capture and reduce manual administration for wholesalers and foodservice caterers.

Nation Wilcox, founded in Birmingham in 1978 by Neil Nation, has spent 48 years serving primary and secondary wholesalers, as well as cash and carry businesses, through its ERP platform ISSAC — Integrated Sales & Stock Accounting.

The business has built expertise across order management, stock control, logistics and accounting, while more recently developing online ordering, AI and mobile apps.

Fresho said the acquisition forms a significant part of its wider plan to accelerate the development of its AI capabilities and drive product innovation across its markets. The company said its goal is to modernise an industry that has historically been underserved by technology, while bringing consolidation to a fragmented market.

Founded in Melbourne, Australia, in 2015 by Huw Birrell and James Andronis, Fresho now supports distributors across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, the UK, Ireland and the United States.

Since launching in the UK in 2020, Fresho has grown to support more than 250 customers in the market.

The acquisition agreement was signed at the Australian High Commission in London, with support from the Australian Trade and Investment Commission, Austrade.

Nation Wilcox will continue to operate as a standalone business under its existing brand, with no changes to customer contracts, support arrangements or day-to-day operations.

Andrew Nation, who has led Nation Wilcox since 2004, will join Fresho’s board as a significant shareholder and will help shape the next phase of growth.

Andrew Nation, Managing Director of Nation Wilcox, said: “Nation Wilcox has been at the heart of UK food wholesale for more than four decades, and finding the right partner for the next chapter of the business was a carefully considered decision. Fresho’s ambitions are the right fit for Nation Wilcox, and together the companies will be able to grow beyond the UK and become the premier supplier of IT systems to the food service industry worldwide.

“For our customers, this means access to the combined expertise of both organisations, with the continuity of the team they already know and trust.”

Jamie Foale, General Manager UK & Ireland at Fresho, said: “I’d like to extend a warm welcome to the Nation Wilcox team as they join the Fresho group. Acquiring this prestigious company establishes us as the leading technology platform for food service in the UK, and combining their decades of experience with our own will help us better serve the market.

“We look forward to working with Andrew to continue the success of Nation Wilcox and ensure that their customers feel as supported and confident in the continued investment in the software as ever.”

The deal underlines the growing role of AI, automation and integrated digital systems in the food wholesale sector, as suppliers look to reduce manual processes, improve visibility and support more efficient trading across increasingly complex supply chains.