Knowles Food Services LTD.

The company was formed in 1886 by Mr Charles Knowles, a fruit grower with orchards in both Kent and Dublin. Originally a retail organisation with units in all the prime locations in Aberdeen, the company started a wholesale operation in 1929. The company quickly established itself as the one which the major growers wanted to handle their produce and with the opening of banana ripening rooms, also became established as the North East's largest importer of green bananas with the handling of Fyffes' Blue Label brand. In 1947 the running of the company was taken over by Henry Cowie who went on to become a major shareholder in 1954.

With its retail outlets and wholesale branches in Aberdeen, Kirkwall and Lerwick, Knowles grew to establish itself as the largest fruit merchant in the North-East of Scotland. After many years of supplying the Royal Household the company was awarded the first of its Royal Warrants in 1972. The present managing director, Ian Cowie, joined the company in 1968 as retail director and took over the day to day running of the company from his father at the height of the oil boom in 1977.

The company continued to grow and became leading suppliers to the hotel, restaurant and catering industries which flourished as Aberdeen became established as the Oil capital of the UK. As a natural progression of its oil-related business, in 1986 the company acquired the business of Harrison & Reeve Ltd, a company with established expertise in this field. Knowles became the only direct supplier of fruit and vegetables to oil rigs.