Parfetts founder Alan Parfett passes away age 95

Parfetts founder Alan Parfett has passed away at the age of 95.

Steeped in the grocery industry all his life, Parfett grew up alongside his three siblings in a small grocery store in Strand on the Green in Chiswick. He went on to train as a grocer at Harrods. Following that he worked for AIG in London, before moving to the north west where he worked for the Co-operative Wholesale Society (CWS) in Manchester, and before becoming chief executive at cash & carry company Lonsdale & Thompson.

He always held an ambition to run his own wholesale business, and this came to fruition in 1979 when he bought a failing cash & carry business based in Reddish Stockport. This became Parfetts of Reddish and the business flourished, having enjoyed support from fellow members of buying group Landmark, of which Lonsdale & Thompson was one.

Initially the plan had been to stick to one depot but the opportunity to open a second site, in Aintree, Liverpool came along in 1986. At the end of that year however, the original Reddish site was burnt to the ground in an arson attack and the business then built an even bigger depot in nearby Stockport. Parfett had always said he planned to retire at the age of 60, and despite no one believing him, he did exactly that in 1989 when he handed over responsibility for the business to his sons Steve and Robert. Alan continued to represent the business as an unofficial non-executive director but left the running of the show to his sons. Alan enjoyed a long and happy retirement with significant involvement in a number of charities, providing advice and generous donations.

Parfetts continued to thrive as a family-owned business until, when it was his turn to retire in 2008, Steve opted to move Parfetts to an employee-owned operation in a move that was fully backed by Alan and the rest of the family.

During their careers both Alan and Steve served as president of the Federation of Wholesale Distributors, and Parfetts was crowned best retail wholesaler at last month’s FWD Gold Medal Awards.