Drinks distributor to complete Yorkshire’s biggest industrial property deal of 2015 with Thorp Arch Estate relocation

A new distribution warehouse is to be built at Thorp Arch Estate, near Wetherby, after national drinks distributor, Matthew Clark Wholesale Ltd, decided to relocate there.

Building work will start on the 62,925 sq ft purpose-built facility in January with completion due in early summer 2016, after the plan was backed by Leeds City Council planners this month.

Matthew Clark Wholesale Ltd, which distributes alcoholic and soft drinks to thousands of pubs, hotels, clubs and restaurants throughout the North, is to move its Yorkshire operation from Derwent Valley Industrial Estate, Dunnington, near York, where it has been based for more than 15 years, transferring 90 jobs.

Tenders for the building work, in which property and construction consultants, LHL Group, York, will be employer’s agent, have been issued and the appointment of a contractor will be announced soon.

Thorp Arch Estate, a 385-acre former Royal Ordinance wartime munitions factory, has demolished three former units, which had a combined area of 93, 614 sq ft, to make way for the new warehouse.

The new distribution warehouse will feature nine dock levellers, two level-entry goods access doors, a large goods yard and 6,350 sq ft of office space.

Tim Munns, director of Wharfedale Property Management, which manages the estate for owner, Rockspring Hanover Property Unit Trust, said: “Attracting Matthew Clark Wholesale Ltd is another significant coup for Thorp Arch Estate as we continue to develop one of the most dynamic business communities in Yorkshire.

“As with many of our tenants, Matthew Clark has chosen to relocate to Thorp Arch Estate due to our proximity to the A1 and national motorway network. This is one of the most significant industrial property deals in Yorkshire this year and reinforces the estate’s ideal location equidistant between Leeds, York and Harrogate.”

Matthew Clark Wholesale Ltd, which has its national headquarters in Bristol, has more than 200 years’ experience of supplying drinks, hospitality training, labour management and marketing support to more than 16,000 premises in the UK.

Ian Gordon, Matthew Clark’s regional managing director, added: “I’m delighted to be relocating our regional operations to this new, purpose-built facility. Our business has grown dramatically during the past few years which has meant that we are unable to continue to operate from our existing site.

“Our new warehouse will enable us to continue to offer our customers industry leading service and the best selection of our award-winning range of drinks. This is a very exciting time for the Matthew Clark business and this expansion is the result of a continuing successful collaboration between our suppliers, employees and customers. This new development paves the way for the next phase of growth of the Matthew Clark business.”

The two-million sq ft Thorp Arch Estate is base for a wide range of more than 140 businesses, from startups to large Plcs, operating in local, national and international markets and employing more than 1,800 people. Thorp Arch Retail Park, which forms part of the estate, was the first out-of-town shopping centre in the country when it opened in 1959 and is complemented by a variety of leisure facilities.

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