About Us
Specialists in e-commerce, distribution and gifting for brands
LINKING PEOPLE WITH BRANDS
Home to Voucher Express, Vex Rewards, VEX Gift Cards, Cadbury Gifts Direct, Green & Black’s and your first destination for both UK and international business gifts.
Hemingways is a specialist e-commerce, sales and distribution company representing a wide range of major UK and international brands, promoting and selling their products to consumers and corporate markets.
The company is independently owned & managed and has traded since 1947. It’s heritage traces back to 1919.
A RICH HISTORY
Hemingways takes its name from the company’s founder John Hemingway who started his family business at the end of the first World War issuing Star Credit Checks – an early form of gift vouchers. During the 1960’s and 1970’s Hemingways operated furniture and department stores in Yorkshire and began marketing and distributing confectionery during the 1980’s, initially to sectors such as credit finance and dairy industries.
Founded in Leeds, the company now operates from sites in Ripon, Leeds, Dublin and Amsterdam. The company employs over 170 people, and over 300 during peak trading. Hemingways is recognised as one of the fastest growing private companies in the North with turnover exceeding £250m.
SOLUTIONS FOR BRANDS AND RETAILERS
We remain an independent company operating in a number of niche markets, primarily retail gift cards and branded confectionery. In all cases our operations involve working nationally with big brands and high volume sales.
Operations now include wholesale and consumer sales for Cadbury and Green & Black’s, white label gift voucher and gift card solutions for over 35 major UK and international retailers; corporate fulfilment services via our dedicated handling operation – Vex Rewards and consumer and corporate voucher sales via Voucher Express.
A TECHNOLOGY COMPANY
Alongside our established e-commerce activities, the company also operates a number of SaaS solutions with a particular focus on the Retail sector. Solutions include platforms used to manage Customer Service and Refunds processes; and bespoke Gift Card Management Platforms.
Hemingways own Bliss Systems Ltd, a specialist software development agency and Professional Services company. Bliss, a Microsoft Gold Partner, is based in Oxford and Leeds.
A FAST GROWING COMPANY
Hemingways Group Holdings Ltd ranks 21th in the list of fastest growing private companies in the Yorkshire region based on turnover figures from 2019 to 2021, appearing for a second year running in the Ward Hadaway’s Top50 listings for Yorkshire. The company also currently ranks 128th in Business Insider’s top 500 best-performing, biggest companies in Yorkshire and the Humber.
Read this Yorkshire Post feature from May 2023 with our MD Andrew Johnson explaining what this recognition means to the company.
AN ACCREDITED COMPANY
High standards sit at the heart of all our activities. We continually strive to be the very best we can be with regard to our processes concerning data management and security; and to continually deliver on the highest quality for our products and services, delivery and customer care.
Hemingways holds full ISO27001 accreditation; BRC Storage & Distribution AA accreditation as well as RSQS and Cyber Essential marks covering data security and management.
OUR CONSUMER AND CORPORATE SITES
We run a range of consumer and corporate sites covering our core businesses – gift cards, branded confectionery and rewards.
MEET SOME OF THE TEAM
People make business and we’ve got some of the best, most talented around.
Colm Phelan
Finance Director
Lydia Morrison
Sales & Marketing Director
Hayley Nicholson
Sales Account Executive
Carrie Wilson
Retail Support Manager
Andrew Johnson
Group Managing Director
Debbie Solan
Head of Retail Sales
Ellie Wheeler
Corporate Sales Manager
Mike Johnson
Group Chairman
Mike Ulman
Control Team Supervisor
Chloe Ryle
HR Advisor
Wayne Murray
Warehouse Senior Supervisor
Stephanie Ryder
HR Manager
MATT HINDLE
Finance Manager
Jane Spink
Purchasing Supervisor
Georgie Fieldman
Sales Associate Manager
Josi Collard
Voucher Operations Manager
Paul Michael Groom
Senior Systems Support
Jamie Rowson
Head of Project Management
Sarah Robinson
Sales Support Supervisor
Graham Burke
Head of ITCORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY
As a responsible company we recognise the positive impact we’re able to make to improve our environment and society.
When able, we allocate funds to organisations where we believe we’ll make the most difference. We’re also on a mission to drive through a range of sustainability measures in order to reduce our impact on the environment.
MACMILLAN CANCER SUPPORT
Hemingways continues its support of the Macmillan Cancer Support charity – a vital provider of services for people living with cancer, providing emotional, practical, physical and financial support.
Our colleagues contribute with fundraising initiatives throughout the year and participate in the annual Mighty Hikes walk in the Yorkshire Dales. Last year our intrepid walkers raised over £16,000 for this extraordinarily important charity.
SIMON ON THE STREETS
We’ve partnered with the homeless charity Simon on the Streets with a sponsorship commitment over five years.
Working with individuals who are homeless and rough sleeping across Leeds and Bradford the charity offers practical and emotional support to the homeless community.
ASHA NEIGHBOURHOOD PROJECT
Hemingways has been a long-standing sponsor of the Asha Neighbourhood Project which aims to improve the lives of all women and children living in South Leeds.
The Project first opened its doors in April 1985 and through services and activities designed to support and empower women, aims to enable all women and their families to participate fully in the social, cultural and civic life of Leeds. Find our more about ASHA here
OTLEY RUFC
Formed in 1865 Otley Rugby Club is one of the most distinguished rugby clubs in the country and represents the very best in community sport. The club places emphasis on junior development alongside a continual aim to play the sport at the highest possible level within the National Leagues.
Otley First XV now play in National League Two North division and Hemingways is proud of its long association as a principal sponsor for over 20 years.
DOWNS SYNDROME ASSOCIATION
Voucher Express supports the work of the national Downs Syndrome Association with ongoing sponsorship of its My Perspective photography competition and in particular the Stephen Thomas Award featuring international entrants.
The 2023 Award Winner was Jonathan Gross from the USA taken at a butterfly farm in North Georgia.