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took over as managing director and since then , the business has continued to grow . We established a butchery division and completed several acquisitions . We acquired Queenswood Natural Foods , among others , which has enabled us to move into the health food market .
“ More recently , we took on a site in Nottingham and have started distributing in that part of the UK . The business has grown organically , and we ’ ve focused on acquiring smaller family run businesses with the same ethos as us . Another significant acquisition was Thorner ’ s , a local butchery and kitchen business based in Somerset that champions local ingredients to make the best quality products . From ice cream to Cornish pasties , we have a broad range of award-winning own brands that are exclusive to Hunts ,” Thomas explains .
“ The business is in a good place . We ’ re still family owned and run and continually reinvest in the company . We give £ 150,000 to charity every year . While we sometimes pay a dividend , that is capped at £ 150,000 . When you ’ re not taking money out , there ’ s capital to invest in buildings , infrastructure , systems , and acquisitions . We employ lots of different people , some of whom have been in the business for 25 years or more and we ensure our team-first philosophy is prioritized . We don ’ t micromanage people but rather enable our management team to do what they feel best . We listen to our team , which I feel is crucial .
Team-first approach
“ Everyone within our management team has progressed from colleague level . I started working in the warehouse when I was 16 and have worked in the telesales , butchery and transport departments ; being hands-on helps understand the job . We ’ re not a wildly formal company , but instead promote an open-door culture . We host several team events from HUNTS FEST , our annual festival , to five-a-side football and an open farm Saturday each year . Being a certified B-Corporation demonstrates our team-first approach . We ’ re a living wage and living hours employer , all sites are BRC accredited to A-Grade or above and we invest in our employees ’ safety , holding ISO 45-001 accreditation . Hunt ’ s conducts regular team surveys , consults its employee representative body on aspects such as charitable giving and prides itself on knowing each and every employee .
“ The business takes environmental sustainability seriously as is demonstrated in our 2023 annual accounts which show a 67 percent reduction in carbon emissions from the 2020 accounts despite a 27 percent growth in sales in this period . It is a big commitment but something our team are hugely passionate about . We installed solar panels on all our main buildings , reduced carbon emissions by 90
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