Marks & Spencer (M&S) has switched its primary wholesale partner for third-party branded products as part of a shift in its supply chain strategy.

The British retailer said that its new partnership with A.F. Blakemore & Son Ltd would help the company deliver a “more consistent and reliable” shopping experience for customers.

Blakemore, which is based in the West Midlands, will deliver directly to the company’s regional distribution network with a new seven day a week service, which the department store and food chain said would ensure “freshness and exceptional quality.”

Under the multi-year agreement, the wholesale business will supply a selection of premium branded goods.

M&S said the new daily delivery service, which includes consolidated chilled and ambient supply, will improve product availability and increase operational efficiency.

"We are thrilled to be backing another British family business, working with A.F Blakemore & Son as our new, trusted wholesale partner,” said Alex Freudmann, managing director, M&S Food. “Blakemore will be providing an improved wholesale solution with a full seven days a week service that will increase availability for our stores and customers.

“As we reshape our business for growth and focus on improving availability and efficiency, choosing the right, trusted partners who can deliver on that is key."

The move comes a day after M&S urged the government to set a legally binding target to boost the proportion of food eaten which is reared or grown in the British isles.

The department store and supermarket chain has also called for the replacement of "complex grants" with simpler incentives for farmers, as well as the introduction of apprenticeships and training schemes where businesses, schools, colleges, and universities can show young people the opportunities in farming.

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