CLF Distribution — Quest 271, Southampton

Turnkey warehouse interior fit out: capacity, control, and room to grow

Overview

CLF is a leading UK wholesaler of premium health and wellness products spanning sports nutrition, organic and health foods, vitamins and supplements, personal care, household essentials and, increasingly, chilled and frozen ranges. In 2025 the employee‑owned business committed to a major relocation to support growth, moving less than a mile to a new, Grade‑A logistics facility on the outskirts of Southampton.

Avanta UK was appointed to deliver a full interior fit out — from storage design to offices and services — enabling CLF to increase stock density, streamline picking, and scale chilled and frozen operations while keeping day‑to‑day service to retailers uninterrupted. The project was delivered over 24 weeks.

Objectives

Increase capacity significantly without moving to multiple sites.
Support SKU growth — especially chilled and frozen — while improving pick speed and accuracy.
Create safe segregation between people and MHE, with clear routes and protection.
Deliver quickly and in phases so service levels for CLF’s 210+ colleagues and customers were maintained.

What we delivered

Pallet storage and VNA operation

We installed a Very Narrow Aisle (VNA) racking scheme rising to 12m, providing 6,500 pallet locations. The configuration maximises the building’s clear height, protects throughput with guided MHE, and leaves headroom for future re‑slotting as product profiles change. Rack‑end protection, aisle signage and full location labelling were included to aid induction and reduce picking error.

Three‑tier fire‑rated mezzanine

To unlock high‑value small‑parts storage and value‑add space without extending the footprint, we installed a three‑tier, fire‑rated mezzanine totalling 5,000 m². Access is via three staircases with multiple pallet gates, comprehensive handrail, and 2.2m‑high mesh edge protection to arrest the fall of small items. Fire strategy elements include a suspended ceiling to the underside, column casings to protect primary steel, fascia/bulkhead closures at exposed edges to maintain fire integrity, and fire‑rated partitioning to enclose stair cores.

Longspan shelving and pick faces

Across the mezzanine levels we supplied and installed 700 bays of longspan shelving, with three bay types to accommodate pallets as well as mixed carton sizes for efficient case‑ and each‑pick. Aisle markers and barcode labels align with CLF’s location logic for faster onboarding and fewer mispicks.

Offices, welfare and M&E integration

On the ground floor we completed a full office fit out — meeting rooms, production, transport and warehouse offices, toilets and canteen — alongside an open‑plan first‑floor office with new floor finishes and decorations. All mechanical and electrical services (HVAC, lighting, emergency lighting, power, fire detection and plumbing) were installed, tested and commissioned to deliver a modern, compliant working environment. Finishes included epoxy flooring in designated areas for durability and hygiene.

Protection, segregation and specialist works

To enhance safety, we added barriers, a freezer roof handrail, and extended 2.2m mesh to mezzanine perimeters. Pedestrian routes, pallet staging and transit areas were clearly marked to separate people and plant and to simplify traffic management during peak activity. (Whitewall installation by others.)

CDM roles — clear and compliant

Principal Designer (PD)

Avanta UK was appointed as PD, coordinating health and safety in the pre‑construction phase. In practice, this meant working with CLF and specialist designers to remove or reduce foreseeable risks in the layout — from mezzanine fire strategy and stair enclosure to racking interfaces, lighting clearances and MHE movement — and ensuring the right information flowed to the site teams before works began.

Principal Contractor (PC)

Avanta UK also acted as PC, leading site safety during construction. We produced the Construction Phase Plan, set permit and induction regimes, sequenced trades (for example, integrating high‑level lighting with racking set‑out), coordinated temporary works and welfare, and maintained daily briefings to keep the programme safe and predictable. The result was a well‑controlled build with a clean handover.

Phasing and programme

From early survey to go‑live, we planned the work to protect CLF’s service promise. Early site set‑out brought forward key enabling activities, while the build was sequenced to keep critical areas available. Stock migration and WMS labelling were coordinated in step with commissioning so that changeover was smooth. The full programme ran to 24 weeks.

Outcomes for CLF

Capacity uplift: The move delivers a 63% increase in floor area versus the previous site, enabling 120% more stock holding and a broader brand portfolio — particularly in chilled and frozen.
Operational control: VNA with clear labelling and defined pick faces shortens walk time and simplifies induction for new starters.
Safety and compliance: Fire‑rated mezzanine construction, protected edges and defined routes improve day‑to‑day safety and audit readiness.
Sustainability and cost‑to‑serve: A modern envelope (BREEAM Excellent, EPC A), solar PV and EV infrastructure contribute to CLF’s long‑term efficiency goals.

Client comment

“Not only does this mark a new chapter in CLF’s history, it also marks a new chapter in my career with the company… The last time the business moved was 2012; this time we’re moving on a scale we have not experienced before.” — Logan Holiday, Managing Director, CLF

Project highlights (at a glance)

Location: Unit 3, Quest 271, Nursling, Southampton (near M271 / Port of Southampton)
Programme: 24 weeks
Building: 62,574 sq ft; 12m eaves; 48m yard; 4 level‑access / 5 docks; 100 car spaces; 20 EV; 600 kVA supply; BREEAM ‘Excellent’; EPC A; roof solar PV
Storage: VNA racking to 12m with 6,500 pallet locations; three‑tier fire‑rated mezzanine totalling 5,000 m²; 700 bays of longspan (three bay types)
Fit out: Ground‑floor and first‑floor offices, welfare, full M&E, epoxy flooring, protection systems, freezer roof handrail, 2.2m mesh to mezzanine edges
CDM roles: Avanta UK appointed as Principal Designer and Principal Contractor

Why it matters

For CLF, the move is about more than square footage. It’s a platform: higher stock density, faster order processing, and a safer, cleaner environment for colleagues — all within a building that supports long‑term sustainability goals. For similar UK businesses facing growth constraints, this case demonstrates how an intelligently engineered interior (racking, mezzanines, pick faces, offices and M&E) can release capacity and improve control without compromising live operations.