A BULK food store has grown from humble beginnings to opening its new £3 million store in Bradford next week, which will create up to 40 jobs.

United Food Cash and Carry is opening its new 120,000 sq ft store on Monday, after a record £3 million investment in the business.

The new store will be at the company’s base in Planetrees Road, Laisterdyke, will open on Monday, April 30, with an event for suppliers and customers to attend to take advantage of opening week offers and sample food on the day.

The family owned firm is part of the Kashmiri Jinnah Group, which owns a chain of restaurants in Bradford, York, Harrogate and Selby.

Due to the increasing demand, United Food will cater for the growing client list, as well as providing services to more than 500 businesses across the UK.

The firm also provides more than 2,000 product lines and boasts its own fleet of delivery vehicles that deliver across Yorkshire and Lancashire.

Saleem Akhtar, managing director of United Foods, said the rapid growth of his company has led to the creation of 20 new jobs, but he said these jobs are “just the start”, as he is aiming to create another 20 jobs in the near future.

He said: “This initiative will help with providing employment in the Bradford area.

“It will impact the economy at large in providing more opportunities for people who wish to join the company.

“This is a big thing for the Bradford economy, I want to help Bradford have the UK’s fastest growing economy.

“At the moment we still are not utilising the building’s full potential, so we will be expanding further in the coming months.

“It is a big boost for Bradford, I have always lived in Bradford and know it needs big investment which I am providing.

“Bradford is a hub in the Asian food market, all the herbs and spices from the East come here and are distributed around the country, and we have the best meat and poultry too.

“The new cash and carry is going to be a one stop shop for all cuisines - Kashmiri, Chinese, Italian, Mexican, and more - so customers will be able to buy everything under one roof.”

United Foods started life as a small grocery store in 1982, and has since grown into a business which supplied a large number of restaurants across Bradford and Yorkshire and Lancashire.

Now customers come from as far afield as Windermere, Birmingham and Whitby to buy produce from the Bradford firm.

As part of the expansion, plans have been put in place to improve the store’s butchery department, and add new product lines such as crockery products for restaurants and the catering industry.