Fresho buys Nation Wilcox to lead UK food wholesale
Wed, 17th Jun 2026 (Today)
Fresho has acquired UK software provider Nation Wilcox, making the Australian-founded company the largest technology platform for food wholesalers in the UK by customer base and gross merchandise value.
The deal gives Fresho a combined UK footprint of more than 400 customers and more than £2 billion in annual GMV. Nation Wilcox will continue to operate under its existing brand, with no changes to customer contracts, support arrangements or day-to-day operations.
Founded in Melbourne in 2015, Fresho provides order management software for fresh food wholesalers. It entered the UK in 2020, and the purchase of Nation Wilcox is its first acquisition in that market.
Nation Wilcox was founded in Birmingham in 1978 by Neil Nation and is known for its ISSAC ERP platform. The business serves primary and secondary wholesalers, as well as cash-and-carry operators, while Fresho has built its presence among food service distributors. Together, they cover different parts of the wholesale food sector.
The agreement was signed at the Australian High Commission in London with support from the Australian Trade and Investment Commission, highlighting the significance of the transaction for an Australian technology company expanding abroad.
The purchase is part of Fresho's broader plan to accelerate development of artificial intelligence tools and expand product development across its markets, including Australia. Its software combines ordering, picking, invoicing and payments in one system, using AI to automate order capture and reduce manual administration for wholesalers and caterers.
Market reach
The deal also brings Andrew Nation, who has led Nation Wilcox since 2004, onto Fresho's board as a significant shareholder. His appointment connects the UK business directly to the parent company while the two operations continue as separate brands.
That structure suggests Fresho is seeking scale in a fragmented market without forcing immediate operational integration. The UK food wholesale software market has long been served by specialist providers, and combining a long-established ERP supplier with a newer order management platform gives the group a broader product base.
Nation Wilcox's ISSAC platform has established a position in order management, stock control, logistics and accounting. More recently, the company expanded into online ordering, mobile apps and AI, in line with Fresho's focus on automation.
For Fresho, the acquisition extends its reach into larger wholesale operations. For Nation Wilcox, it provides access to a business that has expanded beyond Australia into New Zealand, Singapore, the UK, Ireland and the United States.
Andrew Nation outlined the rationale for the agreement in a statement issued alongside the deal.
"Nation Wilcox has been at the heart of UK food wholesale for more than four decades, and finding the right partner for the next chapter of the business was a carefully considered decision. Fresho's ambitions are the right fit for Nation Wilcox, and together the companies will be able to grow beyond the UK and become the premier supplier of IT systems to the food service industry worldwide. For our customers, this means access to the combined expertise of both organisations, with the continuity of the team they already know and trust," said Andrew Nation, Managing Director, Nation Wilcox.
Jamie Foale, who oversees Fresho's operations in the UK and Ireland, said the acquisition would strengthen the company's position in Britain.
"I'd like to extend a warm welcome to the Nation Wilcox team as they join the Fresho group. Acquiring this prestigious company establishes us as the leading technology platform for food service in the UK, and combining their decades of experience with our own will help us better serve the market. We look forward to working with Andrew to continue the success of Nation Wilcox and ensure that their customers feel as supported and confident in the continued investment in the software as ever," said Jamie Foale, General Manager UK & Ireland, Fresho.