Somerfield, formerly known as Gateway is a small to medium sized chain supermarkets in the United Kingdom. Somerfield has been operating the United Kingdom from 1950 under different names, and it also happens to be the fifth largest supermarket chain in the United Kingdom.
The company was founded by JH Mills, a Bristol-based grocer in 1875. The business developed into a self-service supermarket and was named Gateway Foodmarkets in 1950. The company was taken over by Linwood Holdings which also owned the Frank Dee wholesaler business with 70 supermarkets. In 1977, the company was renamed as Dee Corporation.
Somerfield becoming part of the Co-operative Group would make the Co-operative Group the fifth largest supermarket in the United Kingdom. Around 650 Somerfield stores would be converted into the Co-operative’s brand.
