R.H. Amar proudly takes its name from our founding father, food and drink pioneer Raoul Amar, who set up the business in 1945.

Raoul came to Britain from France and he started his business by borrowing £2,000 to fund his dream of importing French grocery products.

Based in Holborn Viaduct, in the City of London, the company flourished in a post-war Britain where food was scarce, with Raoul also setting up an office in his former home city of Marseille to seek out suppliers for the British market.

By the 1950s, as food rationing came to an end and competition intensified, many small importers, who had set up after the war, went to the wall. But Raoul’s business had been built on stronger foundations and it not only survived but began to source grocery products from other European countries, as well as from the USA, Africa and the Caribbean.

Today the company is led by Chairman, Henry Amar, Raoul’s son, from single-site office and warehousing facilities in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. Henry first joined the business in 1960 and his sister, Maureen, is also on the Board, having previously pursued a successful career outside the business in market research. Meanwhile, the third generation of Amars is already making its presence felt. Henry’s son, Rob, joined the Company in 2001, became a Board member in April 2008, and Vice Chairman in 2010.

A Top Team
In more recent years, the Board of Directors has been strengthened so that, as well as being a family company, R.H. Amar can count on the expertise of some of the most experienced and talented professionals working in the food industry today.

Chief Executive, David Mellor first joined the company as Sales Director in 1987 and was the man responsible for driving the UK’s olive oil market, as well as introducing new fine foods to the masses including satay sauce and olives.
David is supported by a senior executive team that can collectively boast decades of experience in the industry:

Tim Brady – Operations Director, joined the Company in December 2000 to look after Customer Services, Buying, Logistics, Warehousing, Stock Control and IT.

Paul Tuhrim – Finance Director, joined the Board of directors in July 2001 and he is now responsible for a department of four that manages all aspects of financial accounting, reporting and credit control.

April Muers – Business Development Director, joined the Company in 2000 and is responsible for the retail business, including discounters and convenience, and for both branded and private labels, the latter being an increasingly important and successful area.

Simon Fry – Marketing Director, joined in 2001 and has responsibility for the profitable growth of the Company's brand portfolio and manages the commercial relationships with suppliers.

For further information about the Company’s Directors,  Click here...