Gills "Doorstep Solutions" Ltd
Gills Doorstep Solutions is one of those businesses that seems to have Otley running right through it.
The business started life back in 1971 as a newsagents on The Gills up in Newall, before being bought by Chris Beck and his father Michael in 2001.
In 2016, Gills moved into town, taking up residence in the historic Woods Forge on Crossgate. Around the same time, Michael sadly passed away, but the business remained firmly in family hands, with Chris and the Beck family continuing to build on what he had helped create.
Since then, it has become a real family affair, with Chris’s wife Tracey, sister-in-law Stephanie and other family members all playing a starring role in keeping the wheels turning, the orders moving and the doorsteps of Otley, north Leeds and Wharfedale well supplied.
In fact, the Beck family are about as rooted in the business as it gets, with much of the family living on the same site as the operation itself. It means Gills is not so much run from Otley as woven into the place — with home, work and community all side-by-side.
During Covid, Gills closed the high-street shop side of the business and became a delivery-only service. These days, they deliver newspapers, milk, eggs, kefir, plant milks, juices and plenty more direct to local homes — keeping alive the grand tradition of useful things magically appearing on your doorstep while you’re still wondering where you left your slippers.
Freshness is a big part of the story too. Chris and the team drive out daily to collect produce directly from local farms and suppliers, helping make sure what arrives on the doorstep is as fresh as possible. That includes suppliers such as Acorn Dairy for organic milk, Derby Hill Farm for milkshakes, Crib Farm Products for juices, Ian Taylor for free-range eggs, Longley Farm for yoghurts, butter and cottage cheese, and Dewlay for cheese.
Their local roots are matched by strong eco credentials. Gills uses electric delivery vans for its rounds, helping reduce emissions while keeping Otley and the surrounding areas supplied with the essentials. Milk on the doorstep and fewer fumes in the air — that feels like a win all round.
Family-run, deeply local and quietly essential, Gills Doorstep Solutions is proof that some businesses don’t need to shout to be part of the fabric of a town. They just turn up, day after day, and make life that little bit easier.
- Listing ID: 1534