Family-run Kettering funeral service cuts ribbon on new Wellingborough location

Jack Warwick, a funeral directors based in Kettering, has officially opened its second location in Wellingborough as a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Wednesday (March 20).

The business has set up shop in Leighton Yard in the High Street, and is an extension of its original office in Kettering’s Wallis Road.

Dan Halls, co-owner and director of Jack Warwick Funeral Service, said: "We identified that in Wellingborough, despite it having five other funeral firms in the town, there’s only one independent (Cooksley’s in Berrymoor Road), and we decided the people in Wellingborough deserved a choice.

"We believe the independents can offer a more personal and caring service. We feel it’s important that people have that opportunity, so we’ve been looking for premises and we identified this as suitable, and now we’ve transformed it.

“This is a second office for us and we will be replicating things here as to how we operate in Kettering, but we hope it regenerates the area too. It’s got some lovely historic buildings and we’ll look after this building.”

The new branch has a mortuary which can accommodate eight, an upstairs catering area, and a dedicated room where people can spend time with their departed loved ones.

Established in Kettering in 1985 by Jack and Margaret Warwick, the business was later run by daughter and son-in-law, Julie and Peter Smeathers, and daughter-in-law Jackie Warwick.

Dan added: “People in Kettering were happy being looked after by Jack and everybody knew him, he was a popular guy, so everyone followed him to his own business, and it went from strength to strength.”

In 2010, Lloyd Woodhouse joined the firm, bringing over 15 years of experience. Although now semi-retired, Julie and Peter are still very much part of the team andn happy to help any families should they have a preference.

Jack Warwick Funeral Service is now looked after by and brothers-in-law Daniel and Lloyd, and has been for the past eight years.

Wellingborough mayor, Cllr Valerie Anslow, was on hand to cut the ribbon at the new site.

At the ceremony she said: “It’s really important that we have places like this that can regenerate Wellingborough. As a growing town we are going to need services like this more than ever.”