United Fruit Shippers became L V Ward

L V Ward (Farm Produce) Limited was founded in 1952 by Leonard Victor Ward and his son, Donald. Within a few years were joined by Donald's brother, Clive.

Originally operating from the Old Covent Garden site, the company relocated to New Covent Garden at Nine Elms when the modernised market opened in 1972. An second branch opened in the New Spitalfields Market in 1991 and following the success of that venture the entire company relocated to larger premises at that site in the early nineties.

Over the years numerous members of the Ward family have contributed to the success of the company including Donald’s son, Mark, who joined the company in 1982 and Clive’s nephew, Robert Maguire, who came to L V Ward in 1989 after five years working within the wholesale markets.

We pride ourselves on being a family business, having always been entirely owned and run by the Ward family with Donald & Clive remaining in active management until their respective retirements in 1996 & 1998.

Today the company is owned and run by Donald's son, Mark and Clive's nephew and operates from a modern, digital trading room in New Spitalfields Market, London. The location was selected for it’s ease of access to many of our major production areas, combined with the ability to closely monitor our produce within the market environment.