History of H&B Foods
June 2009
The three original owners of H&B Foods complete a Management Buy-out from The Novel Group Ltd. Jonnie Archer, Nick Martin and Simon Yorke resume control of the business and re-establish our Stewarts Road site as Head Office. The original Cheese Cellar premises in Ellerslie Square become a stock holding site.
2006
H&B Foods has a staff of 250 with an annual turnover of £53 million. Later that year, the company is acquired by Novel Group Ltd and later, in July 2007, were joined by The Cheese Cellar. The Novel Group acquires a large site in North West London which the three companies begin to operate from, while H&B Foods retains the majority of its staff and production facilities in Battersea.
2003
H&B Food Provisions Ltd. is born following a merge between two long-standing cheese businesses, Harvey & Brockless Ltd and The Huge Cheese Co London Ltd. The business later simplifies its name to H&B Foods Ltd.
A look back at the history of the two companies before they became H&B Foods:
Harvey & Brockless 
1979
Harvey & Brockless established with 3 staff members.1982
Harvey & Brockless sold to Anthony Howeson (who later became the Managing Director of H&B Foods).1983
Number of staff rises to 6 and sales break £1 million for the first time. The company operates from a small house in Wandsworth Road, London but rapidly outgrows this site. In order to handle larger volume a move to a factory site in Linford Street, Battersea, London, is necessary.1985
Business grows further with sales of £2 million and staff numbers rise to 12. Another move is necessary and the current Head Office site in Stewarts Road, Battersea is purchased.1988
Harvey & Brockless starts to process and cut cheese for a select number of customers, an industry field which few areinterested in supplying. Potential demand is strong and followin the move to Stewarts Road, the company grows even faster and the site is developed to improve hygiene standards.1993
A depot in Pershore, Worcestershire is set up independently of Harvey & Brockless.1998
Harvey & Brockless buys the Worcestershire depot.1995
80 staff are employed with sales of £10 million. In order to accommodate further growth the building next door is purchased and another purpose built factory erected.2003
Sales reach £18 million and 160 staff are employed.Huge Cheese Co London 
1982
The Huge Cheese Company is formed in Sussex. With Harrods as a big customer providing a firm commercial base, success came quickly and gives the company the opportunity to expand.1983
Simon Yorke (Currently Director, National Accounts at H&B Foods) joins the company.1985
The company sets up a base in London by purchasing a warehouse in Bermondsey. The Sussex warehouse becomes a repository for the maturing of English cheeses. Only one person is working from the London warehouse with one van.1993
Simon Yorke assumes full control as Managing Director.1994
The company employs 11 members of staff with four vans on the roads. Huge Cheese has built up a strong reputation for quality and service among London’s top hotels and restaurants and has a turnover of £2 million a year.1996
Huge Cheese acquires the original Porters Provisions Company Ltd.1999
The Huge Cheese Company moves to new premises in New Covent Garden. The company's customers are predominantly in the hotel and restaurant sector. The move and acquisition increases turnover to £8 million. By now, 80 staff are employed.2000
Huge Cheese Yorkshire founded.2003
Huge Cheese reaches a turnover of £12 million, employing 120 staff.
A History of The Cheese Cellar
The Cheese Cellar was established in 1978 by Luke Fenwell. The company quickly grew from an operation employing just 2 staff with a turnover of £335,000. In 2007 just prior to its inclusion into the Novel Group Ltd. it was a nationwide business with 68 employees and an annual turnover of £22 million.