Our History

1946 – Ron Ramsden established Ramsden’s Retail Store in Grimsby

1961 – Dudley Ramsden founded D.B. Ramsden & Co Ltd (Dee Bee for Dudley’s initials – D.B.Ramsden) - a wholesale company; its main purpose was to supply Ramsden’s Retail Store with non-food products

1970 – First export order through D.B. Ramsden & Co Ltd

1977 – Dudley Ramsden was a joint founder of the Nisa buying-consortium

1986 – Head Office at Adam Smith Street, Grimsby doubled in size to 60,000 sq. ft. and totally refurbished

1989 – Export Division created called DeeBee Worldwide; holding worldwide rights for all Nisa Today’s private label brands

1992 –All Nisa export orders going through DeeBee Worldwide

1995 – Sean Ramsden appointed Managing Director after recently graduating from Cambridge University; DeeBee Worldwide turnover now exceeds £10 million with distribution to over fifty countries

1997 – Rebranded to Nisa International due to association with Nisa-Today’s; Nisa’s exclusive export partner

2004 – Won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade

2006 – Launched website with over 12,000 products

2008 – Speciality Range introduced

2009 – Won second Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade;
Opened Reprocessing Facility, Adam Smith Street, Grimsby;
Won the Grocer Gold Award 2009

2010 – Royal Visit from HRH The Princess Royal;
Rebranded to Ramsden International;
Won the Grocer Gold Award 2010 for Exporting;
Health Range introduced

2012 – Won our third Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade;
Won the Chamber Award for Exporting

2013 – Instilled our Vision and Mission Statement

2014 – Opened our international offices in Hong Kong, UAE and South Africa

2015 – Opened our fourth international office in Australia;
Awarded the Soil Association Accreditation;
Company separation from D.B Ramsden & Co to S.D. Ramsden & Co Limited;
Won the FDF award for Exporter of the Year

2016 – New Offices;
Reprocessing ability to store Chill & Freeze at the same time;
Leap 100

2017 – Repro moved to a new warehouse in Scunthorpe;
International offices opened in Canada;
The launch of the Ramsden Order Capture System (ROCS)

2018 – The launch of Ramsden International’s Simplification Process;
Won The Grocer Gold Award for Exporter of the Year

2020 – Achieving Full Authorised Economic Operator Status (AEO-F);
Sean Ramsden awarded an MBE in New Year's Honours for services to International Trade

2021 – Fine Foods range introduced, replacing Speciality;
Won The Grocer Gold Award for Exporter of the Year

2023 – Shortlisted for The Grocer Gold Award 2023 for Exporter of the Year;
Moved to our bigger Reprocessing Centre;

2024 – Shortlisted for The Grocer Gold Award 2024 for Speciality Wholesaler of the Year