A Scottish family food business since 1885
A butcher's shop in Biggar
In 1885 the Brown family opened a small butcher's shop in Biggar, curing all their own bacon and delivering their meat, bacon and sausages by horse and cart throughout Lanarkshire and the surrounding areas. Business flourished, and two more traditional ‘factory’ units opened to meet regional demand.
Six staff, and room to grow
The Godfrey family bought the business with six members of staff, and kept the Brown family's values, traditions and quality. In 1993 they moved it to a new factory in Dumfriesshire, which paved the way for frozen and chilled production. A run of acquisitions followed, and Browns Food Group became one of the leading independent manufacturers in the industry.
To confirm with Browns: 1985 (Our Story, careers site, CSR report p.2) or 'the late 1980s' (home page, CSR report p.4)? Companies House shows Browns Manufacturing Ltd was incorporated on 20 July 1987.
The timeline
Every year below links to the business or site it brought into the group.
Roots 1885–1993
- 1885
A butcher's shop in Biggar
The Brown family open a small butcher's shop in Biggar, curing their own bacon and delivering by horse and cart across Lanarkshire. Business flourishes, and two more traditional 'factory' units open to meet demand.
Source: Our Story; home page - 1985
The Godfrey family
The Godfrey family buy the Browns' business, with six members of staff, and carry on the Brown family's values, tradition and quality.
Source: Our Story; careers site; CSR report - 1993
To Dumfriesshire
The business moves to a new factory in Dumfriesshire and becomes Brown Brothers Manufacturing Ltd. The site makes and distributes both frozen and chilled products.
Find out moreSource: Our Story Growth 1994–2014
- 1996
35,000 sq ft and a butchery
After new slicing equipment arrives in 1994, phase one of the site extension creates a 35,000 sq ft site with a new butchery.
Source: brownbrothers.net - 1997
FoodPro joins
The first expansion after the move: buying ready meal maker FoodPro takes the group into a new area of expertise.
Find out moreSource: Our Story - 1998
65,000 sq ft
Phase two adds a cold store, despatch, a high-speed slicer and thermoforming.
Source: brownbrothers.net - 1999
Fenton Barns
Browns buys meat and poultry business Fenton Barns, in East Lothian.
Find out moreSource: Our Story - 2000
110,000 sq ft
Phase three extends the high-risk area of production.
Source: brownbrothers.net - 2001
Lions Speciality Foods
Browns acquires Lions Speciality Foods, a major manufacturer of chilled and frozen salmon and seafood.
Source: Our StoryTo confirm with Browns: The current home page says Lions was 'founded in 2012'. Brown Brothers' history also says Tarbert Fine Foods launched in 2001.
- 2004
Locharbriggs cold store
A cold storage site in Dumfries adds storage, transport and logistics services.
Find out moreSource: Our Story - 2007
Mostell, and a bigger FoodPro
Browns buys poultry sales business Mostell. FoodPro moves to a new, larger site, raising output substantially.
Find out moreSource: Our Story - 2008
Mostell Logistics and Belchers
The group's own refrigerated transport business is created. Browns also buys Belchers of Ayrshire, one of Europe's largest retail frozen producers.
Source: Our Story - 2010
Mostell Seafood and Ocean Catch
Buying Mostell Seafood brings a wider seafood range, and the Ocean Catch brand, into the group.
Find out moreSource: Our Story - 2011
Tilbury
A large frozen distribution centre at Tilbury opens, with Tilbury Transport serving London.
Find out moreSource: Our StoryTo confirm with Browns: The home page says Tilbury was 'purchased in 2010'; Our Story says it opened in 2011.
- 2012
The Scottish Gourmet
The group moves into home-delivered, restaurant-style meals. Lions Speciality Foods relaunches its premium Tarbert Fine brand with a new salmon range.
Source: Our Story - 2013
Hall's of Scotland
In January, Browns buys the Hall's brand, its production site and its van sales operation from Vion. Hall's dates back to 1932. The same year, Importo starts offering import and export services.
Find out moreSource: Our Story; news, January 2013 - 2014
150,000 sq ft cooked meat factory
The Kirkconnel site reaches 150,000 sq ft, with more high-risk, slicing and despatch space. Browns also buys and absorbs bacon specialist D & R Stevenson, and Ramage joins the group.
Source: Our Story; brownbrothers.net; home page Today 2015 on
- 2015
The Kitchen Table
Mostell launches The Kitchen Table, a coated chicken range for foodservice. At Kirkconnel, new truck yards and offices are built for distribution, design and import/export teams.
Source: News, March 2015; brownbrothers.netTo confirm with Browns: From 2015 on, the timeline is drawn from your own news and reports. Please confirm, and add anything we've missed.
- 2016
Awards and a Lidl contract
FoodPro and Hall's of Scotland are each named Best Chilled Food Supplier at the Food Awards. Brown Brothers wins a contract to supply Scottish cooked meats to 91 Lidl stores in Scotland.
Source: News, July, August and October 2016To confirm with Browns: Are you happy to name customers such as Lidl here?
- 2018
Outstanding Family Business
The group wins the Outstanding Family Business Award at the DG Business Awards. NPD and Sales Support Manager Bob Beattie is named Individual Champion in Developing the Young Workforce.
Source: News, June 2018To confirm with Browns: The CSR report lists a 2019 Herald Outstanding Family Business Award. Are both correct?
- 2020
Foundation Apprenticeships and Baraka
The first pupils begin Foundation Apprenticeships in Food and Drink Technology at Browns. In July, Baraka joins the group.
Find out moreSource: News, March 2020; barakaproducts.co.uk - 2023
The Kirkconnel extension
An extension of just under 5,000 m² adds about 30% more factory floor, for low-risk processing, Scottish pork butchery, an 800-pallet cold store and a new blast freezer. EcoVadis Bronze follows, along with investment in a CO2 refrigeration plant.
Source: News, 2022; CSR report 2024/25To confirm with Browns: The extension was due to be fully operational by April 2023. Did that happen on time?
- 2024
A royal opening, and AK Stoddart
In March, the Princess Royal officially opens the new extension at Kelloholm. In June, Browns makes a multi-million-pound investment in AK Stoddart Ltd, creating what Browns described as Scotland's largest privately owned meat business. Browns is named one of Scotland's Top 100 companies by Grant Thornton.
Source: News, March, May and June 2024To confirm with Browns: The June 2024 post gave turnover as £300m, with a target of £500m. Would you like either figure on the site?
- Today
A family business of about 1,100 people
Seven manufacturing sites and two storage and distribution locations, supplying the major supermarkets, foodservice, business to business and independent retailers across the UK, with worldwide sourcing, import and export.
Source: Modern Slavery Statement 2025To confirm with Browns: What else since 2015 should be here: new sites, products, customers, investment or people?
Sources: Our Story page · brownbrothers.net history · news posts 2013–2025 · CSR Report 2024/25 · Modern Slavery Statement 2025
H.E.A.R.T.
Five values describe how we work together and the behaviours we expect from everyone who works at or with Browns Food Group.
Honesty
Truthful and honest in all we do.
Environment
Provide a safe working environment for all and strive to minimise waste.
Action
A positive and “can do” attitude.
Responsibility
Take responsibility for our own development and constantly learn and develop.
Team
Work together to grow the business.
The people behind the group
Wayne Godfrey
Signs the Modern Slavery Statement (26 January 2026) and Environmental Policy (14 January 2026)
To confirm with Browns: Would you like leadership on the site? Wayne Godfrey signs the group's statements as CEO. Companies House also lists Thomas Wood as a director (appointed January 2024), press coverage names Alan Hill as finance director, and a 2015 news post names Lee Godfrey as Managing Director of Brown Brothers. We'd only publish names, roles and photos you approve.
Awards
- 2024Top 100 companies in Scotland (Grant Thornton)
- 2024GroceryAid Gold Award
- 2023EcoVadis Bronze
- 2023GroceryAid Bronze Award
- 2019Herald Outstanding Family Business Award
- 2018Outstanding Family Business Award, DG Business Awards
- 2016FoodPro: Best Chilled Food Supplier, Food Awards England
- 2016Hall's of Scotland: Best Chilled Food Supplier, Food Awards Scotland
- 2015Great Taste award for our long sliced smoked salmon (Guild of Fine Food)
- 2013Two golds, BPEX Foodservice Pork Product of the Year: Best Cured Product and Best Innovative Pork Product
To confirm with Browns: These are the awards Browns has published itself. The CSR report lists a GroceryAid Bronze (2023) and news lists a Gold (January 2024); both may be right. Are there newer awards to add?
See where we are today.
Buying for retail, wholesale or foodservice?
Tell us what you're looking for (products, own label, storage, transport or sourcing) and the right team will come back to you.
Looking for work near you?
Production, butchery, engineering, technical, logistics and office roles across our sites, with training from day one.