History
The company started as a single supermarket in Brighton in 1956. It was one of a series of convenience store chains established in the 1950s, the others being Premier and Victor Value. By 1962 it had 200 shops.
The company was acquired by Associated British Foods in 1963. ABF appointed James Gulliver to the post of Chairman of Fine Fare in 1967: he continued to lead the business until 1972.
In 1986, ABF sold the company to The Dee Corporation (subsequently known as Somerfield). Following this, all Dee Corporation's newly-acquired stores were rebranded as Gateway or closed, and the Fine Fare name had disappeared by the end of the 1980s.
Fine Fare was perhaps most notable for its sponsorship of the Scottish Football League which commenced for the 1985-86 season (beginning August 1985) to the 1987-88 season (which ended in May 1988, around the same time that the last Fine Fare stores closed).
Read more about this topic: Fine Fare
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