British Family Business
Established 1868
British Family BusinessDelivering Sustainability,
Not Just Supplies
Building a legacy of responsibility for future generations.
Our Commitments
In Partnership with Planet Mark
We've partnered with Planet Mark who are supporting us in reducing our carbon emissions on our journey to become a Net Zero company.
"This collaboration ensures that our measurements are accurate and our goals are ambitious, helping us to build a legacy of responsibility for the next generation of Stephensons."
A Legacy of Responsibility
"As a fifth-generation family member of a business that has proudly served customers and communities for over 155 years, I am deeply aware of the responsibility we hold... Sustainability, fairness, and integrity have always been integral to how we conduct business."
Henry Stephenson
Managing Director
Governance
Industry Recognition & Standards
Our Footprint
Operational Efficiency
Reducing our impact across our Stockport and Cheadle sites through smart investment.
Solar Energy
33kW/hr
Solar panel installation at our Stockport site was completed in August 2023. 82 solar panels generating up to 33kW an hour with a battery storage capacity of 40kW.
Future plans: Installation at Cheadle Distribution Centre.
Recycling
320 Tonnes
In 2023, we recycled 226 tonnes of cardboard and paper, and 94 tonnes of plastic. We recycle all cardboard and plastic waste and are expanding capacity to improve these rates.
Electricity
100% LED
All traditional fluorescent bulbs in our Cash & Carry and Showroom have now been replaced with energy-efficient LED lighting.
Logistics
Pick & Pack Efficiency
In 2025 we successfully relocated all pick, pack, and ship operations to one centralised location at our Cheadle Distribution Centre.
- Drastically reduces stock movement between sites
- Cuts carbon emissions from inter-site transport
- Improves service speed and accuracy
Transport
Delivery Fleet
Since 2022, our entire delivery fleet is EURO 6 compliant. Furthermore, all sales and management fleets were converted to electric vehicles in December 2022.
Looking Ahead
We continue to trial electric vans to replace the EURO 6 delivery fleet, awaiting technology that meets our load capacity and range requirements.
Social Responsibility
Our People & Community
Fostering an inclusive culture and supporting our local area.
63%
Of our team live within 3 miles of our sites, reducing travel emissions.
31%
Of employees have been with us for more than 10 years.
31%
Of our workforce take part in the Cycle to Work scheme.
1,800+
Hours spent on training and development last year.
Charity & Wellbeing
We actively support charities and social initiatives.
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We Love Manchester Charity: We have personally donated over £9,000 to support community projects across our home city.
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British Heart Foundation: Our MD Henry Stephenson personally raised over £8,000.
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Employee Support: We work with Hospitality Action for staff wellbeing and support Andy's Man Club for men's mental health awareness.
Award Winning Stand
Gold Standard
Our sustainable and stylish cardboard stand used for tradeshows was recently awarded the Gold standard by Better Stands. This award encourages exhibitors to be more environmentally friendly by using reusable stands made from responsibly sourced, recyclable materials.
Supply Chain
Products & Packaging
Packaging Innovation
We replaced all bubble wrap packaging with a paper-based material in September 2022.
All plastic tape was replaced with paper self-adhesive tape in August 2022, which can be recycled directly with the box.
Responsible Sourcing
We actively source products from UK manufacturers (where possible) to ensure a low carbon footprint.
We are a member of the FPA and Caterbar, ensuring access to the best prices while promoting responsible manufacturing.
In Partnership with Planet Mark
We've partnered with Planet Mark who are supporting us in reducing our carbon emissions on our journey to become a Net Zero company.
Solar Energy
Solar panel installation at our Stockport site was completed in August 2023. 82 solar panels generating up to 33kW an hour with a battery storage capacity of 40kW.
The panels generated >15300kWh in 2024 and >17100kWh in 2025, helping us to charge our sales fleet vehicles and contribute towards running our facilities from green energy.
We have future plans to install solar panels at our Cheadle Distribution centre.
Delivery Fleet
Since 2022, our entire delivery fleet is now EURO 6 compliant. All sales and management fleets are electric vehicles, also completed in Decemeber 2022. We continue to trial electric vans to replace the EURO 6 delivery fleet, but as of yet the load capacity and range are not sufficient.
Electricity
All traditional fluroscent bulbs in our Cash & Carry and showroom have now been replaced with LED lighting.
Recycling
We recycle all our cardboard and plastic waste. In 2023, we recycled 226 tonnes of cardboard and paper, and 94 tonnes of plastic. We are working on expanding our cardboard and plastic capacity on both sites to improve our recycling rates.
In 2025, we recycled >22 tonnes of cardboard and >4 Tonnes of plastic.
Pick & Pack
In 2025 we relocated all pick, pack, and ship operations to one location at our Cheadle Distribution Centre, drastically reducing our stock movement between the two sites.
Packaging
We replaced all bubble wrap packaging with a paper-based material in September 2022. All plastic tape was replaced with paper self-adhesive tape in August 2022, and this can be recycled with the box.
Products
We actively source products from UK manufacturers (where possible) to ensure a low carbon footprint. We are a member of the FPA, which promotes the responsible manufacturing, distribution, usage, and disposal of food and foodservice packaging.
Additionally, we are members of Caterbar, a group of independent catering equipment distributors with a combined purchasing power and access to the best possible prices.
Community
We work closely with Hospitality Action, a charity that supports employees with their mental health and wellbeing. We also sponsor several local sports clubs as we are passionate about supporting grassroots teams.
Award Winning Tradeshow Stand
Our sustainable and stylish cardboard stand we use for tradeshows was recently awarded the Gold standard by Better Stands, who aim to encourage exhibitors to consider how they can be more environmentally friendly by using reusable stands that are made from responsibly sourced, recyclable materials.