Holdsworth Foods founder Michael Holdsworth died on 31 July at his home in Ashford in the Water, Derbyshire, aged 85.
A well-known and respected character in the frozen food and foodservice industries, Holdsworth initially began his career by following in his father’s footsteps in butchery.
He gained experience in both Mattocks and Dentons butchers in Sheffield before going on to study management. He then took on a management position at local chicken processing business J Thornhills & Sons in Great Longstone.
In 1969, Holdsworth realised his own business ambitions when he saw opportunities in wholesale food provision in the local area. He launched Michael I Holdsworth Limited, operating from a small garage unit in Stoney Middleton, selling and delivering oven ready, frozen chicken to local pubs.
As customers and demands increased, Holdsworth began sourcing more product lines from markets in nearby Sheffield and soon outgrew his original premises, facilitating a move for the business and his growing family to The Mill on Manchester Road in Tideswell, where the Holdsworth Foods head office remains today.
Holdsworth was also a founding member of the Fairway Foodservice, a frozen food buying consortium that was instrumental in the growth and development of his own business, as well as other similar regional wholesalers.
Today, Holdsworth Food Services has grown to be a highly successful national food distribution business, now operating from 10 sites across England and Wales.
Holdsworth retired as managing director in 1999 and John Marriott took on the mantle. Marriott led the company to further growth before his retirement in 2023. Holdsworth’s son Rupert took over as managing director, a position he continues to hold.
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