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Welcome to Iceland, where we do things differently. We’re a family-run business, and that family extends to you. We’re a diverse bunch who respect each other and thrive together, working hard to exceed our customers’ expectations with a smile. We’re always on the lookout for great people to make an impact and we support our people to be the best they can be. So, when you join us, you get more than just a job. You get a fulfilling career that can take you in any direction you want it to. So join us, and Be Iceland.
Be a part of history
Here, you can discover more about the home of frozen food and our amazing story so far. The many ups, the one big down and the time we came back from the brink. The charities we support and the good causes we fight for. The man who started it all, the son who continues to do the right thing. How we act as a power of good for our customers, colleagues, and the planet. And let’s not forget- all the fun we’ve had along the way!
1970
What a year! Brazil won the World Cup, again! Love Story was showing at the local Odeon. And Malcolm Walker and Peter Hinchcliffe open the doors of our first Iceland store. We start selling loose frozen food to customers in Oswestry, Shropshire. Who knew what was to come?
1975
The movie blockbuster that year was The Towering Inferno. And we were on the up and getting hot ourselves! Our customers liked what we did. So, we grew quickly, opening 14 further stores across North Wales and the North West.
1978
Disco hits the dance floors, and the Bee Gees had their big number-one hit with Night Fever. And our own-brand products hit shelves for the first time. We open our first purpose-built freezer centre in Stretford, Manchester. We can’t remember if it had a glitter ball hanging from the ceiling. Let’s just assume it did.
1979
Joy Division release Unknown Pleasures. Prince Charles opens the London Underground Jubilee line. And we open our Head Office in Deeside, just outside Chester. And we’re still here today, although our Head Office is now much, much bigger. Probably a lot bigger and busier than the Jubilee line. Take it away Hooky!
1984
Apple computers launched the Macintosh with their epic ‘Why 1984 Won’t Be Like 1984’ TV ad, which only played once. And we grow to 81 stores and become a public company with one of the most successful flotations ever seen on the London Stock Exchange. Take that, Big Brother!
1986
One of the summer blockbusters that year was Little Shop of Horrors, a funny movie about a giant man-eating plant. It didn’t influence us in removing artificial colourings, flavourings, non-essential preservatives, and monosodium glutamate from our own-brand products…but you never know. We were the first UK supermarket to do it. Others took two decades to follow!
1989
Batman with Jack Nicholson as the Joker was the blockbuster that year. Iceland buys Bejam to grow the family and create a truly national chain of 465 stores. Which is no joke! Kapow!
1995
The Oasis album What’s the Story (Morning Glory) is released. We grow to 752 stores and celebrate 25 consecutive years of sales and profit growth. That’s the real story! Altogether now, “And after all, you’re my…”
1996
The Spice Girls big hit Wannabe told us what we want, what we really, really want. And it turned out to be our unique home delivery service. Which was another brainchild of our leader, Malcolm Walker’s. Always one step ahead when it comes to what people really, really want!
1999
Where were you on 31/12/1999 when the clock struck midnight, and we ushered in a new millennium? Did you party like it was 1999, enjoying one of our GM-free meals? That year we led the way globally by doing the right thing for our customers. We became the first food retailer to remove GM ingredients completely from our own-brand range. And launched the UK’s first nationwide home shopping service. Ahead of our time once again.
2000 - 2005
The music stopped and all the movies were tragedies. Our dark ages begin. Our leader, Malcolm Walker, and other senior managers are forced to leave the company, but our troubled times don’t last long. Re-named the Big Food Group, we’re brought back from the brink of bankruptcy when we return to being a private company under the leadership of Malcolm and a team of former senior executives.
2006
England didn’t win the World Cup in Germany that year. No, seriously, they didn’t. But we began our fightback, and we started a spectacular turnaround almost immediately. A 10% sales decline is turned into 20% growth. We become the UK’s fastest-growing food retailer. Get in there, Iceland!
2009
Lady Gaga had the biggest-selling hit that year with Poker Face. We open more than 70 new stores, and our sales exceed £2 billion for the very first time. No poker faces for our colleagues and customers – just big smiles.
2010
Hitting the headlines that year: Iceland ruins people’s holidays abroad when it causes the closure of airspace over the whole of the UK with a huge volcanic eruption! Not guilty – it was the other Iceland in the Atlantic. We, on the other hand, celebrated our 40th anniversary with a spectacular Charity Ball that raised over £750,000 for Help for Heroes. No eruptions, just a good time had by all for a fantastic cause.
2012
It was Queen Elizabeth II’s diamond jubilee. And we won our first Sunday Times Best Big Company award, which we celebrated. But not as much as we celebrated Her Majesty’s great service to our country.
2014
Pharrell Williams was Happy to have a big hit on his hands and so were we. Our first Food Warehouse opens its doors to offer our customers bigger choices and bigger savings in a much bigger space. And we win our second Best Big Company award! Are we happy? Take it away, Pharrell…
2016
Bake-Off: The Professionals debuts on TV. Meanwhile, Malcolm Walker opens our new £2 million Development Kitchen at our Head Office. Cooking up more recipes for success.
2017
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is the summer blockbuster. Our Founder and Executive Chairman Malcolm Walker receives a knighthood. We are all incredibly proud of our Sir Malcolm! The Force is stronger than ever.
2018
Marvel superheroes dominate the silver screen. But our very own superheroes, Sir Malcolm, and his son Richard, make us the first major retailer worldwide to pledge the elimination of plastic packaging from our own-brand products. Additionally, we become the first UK supermarket to exclude palm oil from all our own-brand foods. Are we on a mission to save the world? Perhaps not. Just doing our bit to make it better for the next generation.
2019
Stormzy has his first number one with Vossi Bop. We’re voted the top UK supermarket for customer satisfaction for the second year running. We won this award thanks to the hard work of our amazing store teams. They go above and beyond to make the best shopping experience possible for our customers. They’re the real Number Ones.
2020
Iceland celebrated its 50th anniversary on November 18. But as COVID-19 swept the country, like everyone else, we celebrated quietly over lots of Zoom calls, and clapped for our carers of the NHS and beyond. Iceland was again named the UK’s Best Online Supermarket in a survey by consumer champion Which? All thanks to our brilliant colleagues’ efforts during those difficult days.
2021
Through the hardships of COVID-19, Iceland creates 3,500 new jobs to meet continuing growth in online shopping demand during COVID lockdowns. We become the world’s first food retailer to join the Climate Pledge.
2022
England’s Lionesses win the Euros! Iceland is again named the UK’s Best Online Supermarket in a survey by consumer champion Which? Back of the net!
2023
The big buzz was about A.I. But for us, it was about our very human relationships – like our partnership with The Range that grows stronger. We extended our reach to 113 stores. And Iceland Foods introduces a new Local convenience format. The first Iceland Local opened on 31 March on a Texaco garage forecourt in Wolverhampton.
