Industry Wholesale, Retail Headquarters Westfield, Somerset Number of employees 292 (as at 2010) | Products Groceries Founded 1911 Type Privately held company | |
Key people Richard Jones, Simon Jones Subsidiaries Jones Convenience Stores
Best Western PLUS Centurion Hotel Website | ||
L&F Jones Holdings Ltd is a company based in Westfield, Somerset, England, that includes a convenience store chain, a wholesale food business, and a Best Western PLUS hotel. The store chain comprises twelve shops in Somerset, Wiltshire, Dorset, South Gloucestershire, and Bristol.
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History
Catherine Lucy Jones founded the company in Stratton-on-the-Fosse in 1911 and started trading as L & F Jones, named after her two daughters Leona and Frances.
In 1929, the shop was replaced by a larger premises, which included a function room for catering dinners and wedding receptions. In 1936 the management was taken over by her eldest son, Basil Leo Jones. Four of Basil’s six sons (Laurence, Christopher, Peter, and Richard) joined the business in the 1960s. Each brother managed a local shop, located at Stratton-on-the-Fosse, Peasedown St John, Paulton, and Trowbridge. The premises at Stratton-on-the-Fosse became the first wholesale cash-and-carry in the area. The business moved to premises in Radstock. The four shops were sold to enable the brothers to concentrate on growing the cash-and-carry business. As the business expanded a catering depot was purchased in Shepton Mallet in 1977.
In 1973, the company joined Landmark Wholesale, a consortium of independent wholesalers, and are one of the group's oldest members.
In 1983, the cash-and-carry relocated from Radstock to its present site in Westfield. This has developed into Jones Food Services, a catering food service business.
By 2010, the company had 16 stores within 30 miles of the head office at Westfield.
In 2011, L&F Jones celebrated its 100th year, with current and former workers joining a celebration at the Assembly Rooms in Bath to mark the milestone. Among the 400 people attending was Dorene James, who started working in 1939, aged 14, at Stratton alongside Mrs Jones.
In 2011, the company reported a £51,713 loss against a pre-tax profit of £90,481 the year before, claiming performance had been "strong" given the "difficult trading conditions".
By 2016 the chain had reduced to a total of twelve stores.
Jones Food Services
The company’s wholesale/catering foodservice business operates from the depot located at its HQ in Westfield, serving customers predominantly in Somerset and Wiltshire.
Jones Convenience Stores
The chain currently consists of twelve stores.
In 2008, the company closed down its Jones Convenience Store in Peasedown St John, blaming competition from the recent opening of a Tesco Express store in the village.
Best Western PLUS Centurion Hotel
L&F Jones owns the Best Western PLUS Centurion Hotel near Westfield, Somerset (formerly the Fosseway Country Club) with a 9-hole golf course. L&F Jones bought it in 1978. The Centurion Hotel was built on the site and opened in April 1987 with 17 rooms. This was enlarged to 44 rooms, a new reception area, and lounge in April 1991. A health centre and gym were added in 2000. In 2002 the Centurion was host to the World Professional Billiards Championship. The health centre and gym rebranded in 2011 as the Centurion Health Club. The health club also won silver in both the 2011 and 2012 Health Club Awards, voted as the second best gym in the South West.
Other interests
In July 2010, L&F Jones acquired Radstock's local butchery 'Paul Loader' and claimed it will improve their offering for the local community and beyond.
In 2011, L&F Jones created '5th Avenue Coffee', an American-style coffee shop in Trowbridge. The name was chosen to reflect the company's historical involvement with Fifth Avenue, New York (Basil Jones was an artist who created stained glass for the windows of St. Patrick’s Cathedral).
L&F Jones had a target to raise £40,000 before the end of 2011 for Kidney Research UK.