From a mobile shop in 1954 serving the local Italian immigrant workers with their gastronomic delights, the business soon expanded as demand for Italian products grew nationally and by 1956 the then Bedford Continental Stores had become a pillar of the UK Italian community by offering them a continuous supply of staple products and baking traditional Italian cakes and breads.
By the early 1970's the company had outgrown their Ridgemont Street warehouse and moved into the new Harrowden Road site separating from the bakery division and re-naming itself Bedford Continental Wholesale Ltd. By the mid 70's the company had also established a Coffee Roasting operation, blending and packing Coffee for both the retail and catering sector in order to meet the growing demands of an emerging Cafe culture.
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