Lioncroft Wholesale celebrates five years in business

Lioncroft Wholesale - now the Midlands’ largest independent wholesaler - is celebrating five years in business this month.

Founded in June 2020 by Dr Jason Wouhra OBE, the business is rooted in the legacy of East End Foods, a family-run enterprise established over 50 years ago to supply Asian groceries to Britain’s growing migrant communities.

The original business was started by Jason’s father Jasbir Wouhra and his brothers before being sold to a private equity firm in 2019.

Fuelled by a passion for wholesale, Jason reacquired the wholesale arm and relaunched it as Lioncroft Wholesale alongside his wife Daali (chief operating officer), father Jasbir (chairman), mother Pam, and brother Indi (associate director).

Operating from depots in Aston and Smethwick, Lioncroft now supplies over 10,000 retail customers across the region, cementing its place as a leader in the Midlands food and drink sector.

Speaking about the business, Jason Wouhra, a former president of the Asian Business Chamber of Commerce, said: “We want Lioncroft to be the best and most respected operator in the industry.

“This vision is underpinned by our values of honesty, opportunity, purpose and energy. These spell HOPE which we know resonates with everyone – we all hope to build a better tomorrow.”

“There is a lot of competition, but we have carved out our own path in a very crowded landscape.

“We refuse to compromise on quality, which is respected by our customer base. We prioritise working closely with our supplier partners and Unitas, our buying group and we pride ourselves on always putting our customers first.

“The current climate is so challenging for anyone running a business and convenience retailers are really under pressure with continually rising costs just to open the doors.

“Their customers are all focussed on value and looking to save money wherever they can.

“As a result, it has never been more important for us to provide retailers with a solution that will help to futureproof their business.

“We need to give them great products, great prices and if we can provide extra support for them to run a successful, profitable business, even better.”

Lioncroft Wholesale also was in the forefront of Lifestyle Express expansion, managing over 150 sites across the Midlands.

The Lifestyle Express estate has grown by more than 30 per cent in the past two years since the Lioncroft team appointed a retail development team and is set for a considerable growth over the coming months.

Jason continued: “The proposition for Lifestyle Express is really strong.

“We know that retailers have the most amazing entrepreneurial spirit.

“They are the real experts on their stores, their customers and the local area, so we look to support them by providing powerful promotions, access to fantastic deals and the bestselling brands, plus they can benefit from the latest industry data and insight.

“We offer support and guidance from our team’s years of convenience retail experience, but our retailers make their own decisions about their store and their future.

“We’re not just looking at opening new stores, we want to protect the future of the convenience sector.

“The only way we can do that is by offering exceptional value, quality and service, which are the pillars of Lifestyle Express – along with supporting retailers to run their businesses their way.”

Jason also confirmed that Lioncroft is working on a new concept for Lifestyle Express stores, which will launch later this year.

“We’re really excited to talk to progressive, forward-thinking retailers who want to grow their business, protect their future and connect to a well-known brand with a long-established heritage.”