Monkfield Reptile, the Cambridgeshire, UK, supplier of reptile food, lighting and habitat products, has taken a multi-million-pound minority investment from growth capital investor BGF. BGF announced the deal on November 4, 2026 and said the money will go into product development, service for customers in the UK and Europe, and faster growth in the US. If you buy from Monkfield on a trade account, the short version is that the family still runs the business and the trade-only model isn’t changing.
What BGF is buying into
BGF has taken a minority stake, so this is growth funding rather than a sale. BGF didn’t publish the exact amount or the size of its shareholding, only that it is a multi-million-pound investment.
According to BGF, Monkfield was founded by Jo Wise in 1980 as Monkfield Nutrition and is still family-owned. It is headquartered near Ely, has passed £27m in revenue and employs 135 people. The group sells more than 1,500 products under brands including Arcadia, HabiStat and Monkfield Nutrition, to customers in 35 countries. Those customers range from major retailers and online platforms to independent pet stores, specialist outlets, zoos and wildlife centers, with a network of distributors behind them. It has also grown by acquisition, including the tortoise breeder and supplier Zoological International.
What changes for US retailers
The US is where most of the new growth is aimed. Monkfield already trades in America through its own business, Arcadia Reptile Inc., and BGF says its products are stocked by leading US retailers and independent stores nationwide. The investment is meant to speed that up.
CEO Matt Negus said the backing will help the company “accelerate our plans in the US, where we see significant demand for high-quality, welfare-led reptile products.” For a US store that already carries Arcadia lighting or HabiStat heating, it’s likely to mean more range and more support over time rather than a change in who you order from. That is our reading, though, and Monkfield hasn’t announced any specific US launches yet.
What stays the same for UK and European trade customers
Monkfield says its commitment to trade partners doesn’t change. “For more than 40 years we’ve been committed to supporting our trade partners, from independent stores to major retailers and distributors around the world, and that commitment doesn’t change,” Negus said. The company also says part of the money will go into its service for customers in the UK and Europe.
On its own website Monkfield sells only to bona fide traders, and trade customers order online through their account. You can see what it supplies, from livefood and frozen food to vivariums, lighting and supplements, on our Monkfield Reptile listing.
New faces on the board
Two appointments come with the deal. Paul Miley becomes chairman, having supported the business since 2025. BGF says he has 30 years in the pet sector, including roles at Mars Petcare Europe, chief executive of Burgess Pet Care and chair of the PFMA, now UK Pet Food, and of the Pet Care Trust, the forerunner of the Pet Industry Federation. He also sits on the board of The Nutriment Company.
Rebecca DeNiro joins as a non-executive director through the BGF Talent Network. She was previously chief executive of Pure Electric and managing director of Dyson GB & Ireland, and she sits on the boards of Norcros, Regatta and Riverford Organic Farmers.
Matt Connor, the investor at BGF, described Monkfield as “a specialist, founder-led business that has built real expertise and loyalty in its sector.”
Finding reptile suppliers
If you’re reviewing your reptile range, you can compare reptile wholesalers, reptile food and livefood suppliers and vivarium suppliers. In the UK, Peregrine Livefoods also breeds and supplies livefood for reptile shops. In the US, Fluker’s and Reptile Supply Co both offer wholesale accounts to retailers. Reptile buyers can meet suppliers at PATS in Birmingham and at Global Pet Expo and SuperZoo in the US.
This item is based on desk research of BGF’s announcement and Monkfield Reptile’s own website. We have not spoken to either company.
Source: bgf.co.uk, monkfieldreptile.com
