John Dorrington Apthorp (25 April 1935 – 9 July 2024) was a British businessman specialising in

frozen food Freezing food Food preservation, preserves it from the time it is prepared to the time it is eaten. Since early times, farmers, fishermen, and trappers have preserved grains and produce in unheated buildings during the winter season. Freezing foo ...

and

alcoholic beverage Drinks containing alcohol (drug), alcohol are typically divided into three classes—beers, wines, and Distilled beverage, spirits—with alcohol content typically between 3% and 50%. Drinks with less than 0.5% are sometimes considered Non-al ...

s, as well as a philanthropist.

Life and career

Apthorp first enjoyed success as a founding member and

managing director A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...

of the family business of frozen food stores

Bejam Bejam was a British frozen food supermarket chain founded by John Apthorp in 1968, based in Stanmore, London. The business grew to become the biggest frozen food retailer and largest seller of freezers and microwaves in Britain. The business wa ...

, which became a market leader in the United Kingdom, trading from hundreds of stores across the country. In 1989, Apthorp sold the company, which was still doing very well, to its rival

Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...

. He also co-founded Wizard Wines (now

Majestic Wines Majestic Wine is a British wine retailer based in Watford, England. The company employs more than 1,300 employees nationwide, and operates more than 200 stores across the United Kingdom. History 1980 to 1999 Majestic Vintners was founded by ...

), a chain of

off-licence A liquor store is a retail business that predominantly sells prepackaged alcoholic beverages, including liquors (typically in bottles), wine or beer, usually intended to be consumed off the store's premises. Depending on region and local idiom ...

s. It was reported in both 2002 and 2003 (and again in 2009) that the wealth of Apthorp and his family was over £100 million. In 2015 the specialist magazine ''SelectUS Wines'' reported that his wealth has been maintained despite an overall decline in company revenues. In 2021 it was reported the net worth had continue to grow. Already an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(OBE), Apthorp was appointed

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(CBE) in the

2014 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 2014 were appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year celebrati ...

for charitable services, particularly in

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and one of the home counties. It borders Bedfordshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Greater London to the ...

. Apthorp was a councillor for

Edgware Edgware () is a suburban town in northwest London. It was an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex east of the ancient Watling Street in what is now the London Borough of Barnet but it is now informally considered to cover a wider area, inc ...

from 1968 to 1974, and was given "Freedom of the Borough of Barnet" in 2008. Apthorp was previously a trustee of the Milly Apthorp Charitable trust, which is now closed. He set up the John Apthorp Charity, which funds projects in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Greater Manchester. Apthorp died after a short illness on 9 July 2024, at the age of 89.

Notes

External links

John Apthorp Charity
1935 births 2024 deaths British businesspeople British retail company founders Commanders of the Order of the British Empire {{UK-business-bio-1930s-stub