BFS has been supplying farmers with liquid fertilisers for nearly 70 years.

1948 Company is established by Anthony Cecil as a general farm contracting business operating from his father's farm in Downham, Essex. Its prime job is to spread local cowshed dung onto the land.

1955 Observing that 'gas liquor' - water that has 'washed' gas, produced from coal - contained nitrogen, Anthony Cecil introduces it as a crop nutrient treatment, sourcing supplies from gas works in Essex and Suffolk.

1958 Anthony Cecil designs and builds a fleet of BFS sprayers for hire, enabling farmers to apply gas liquor themselves, thus increasing the product's sales potential.

1960 New premises are acquired in Danbury to accommodate Nuffield tractor sales and gas liquor developments. A new plant is built to 'blend' phosphate and potash with the 'gas liquor' nitrogen. Although the arrival of North Sea gas heralds town gas works closures, other sources of nitrogen are found that enable the new mixing plant to produce an ever-increasing range of liquid fertilisers.

1969 BFS concentrates its activities on fertiliser, contract spraying, and the manufacture of sprayers. Its expertise in handling liquids helps it win the authorised Conoco/Jet domestic heating oil distributorship, which supplies homes in Essex.

1976 Having outgrown Danbury, a new site, Ilgars, is acquired in Woodham Ferrers where a new, sophisticated fertiliser plant is built.

1988 Anthony Cecil invents a ground-breaking nozzle that sprays droplets containing air bubbles, thus reducing spray drift.

1990 Following further development and independent prototype testing, the pioneering Air Bubble Jet is born and quickly becomes a favourite with farmers, who see a dramatic reduction in drift, lessening the impact on the environment when spraying pesticides.

1995 Independent research confirms the BFS Air Bubble Jet's superiority over rival products.

1998 Anthony Cecil dies.

1998 BFS celebrates its 50th anniversary. A specialist store is built on the Downham site and an approved AEA test centre is set up with a fully equipped sprayer repair, maintenance and testing workshop.

2001 Ilgars production plant is improved, with better environmental protection and increased storage.

2003 Danbury oil depot is renovated, with new storage, new loading facilities, better environmental protection and greater security.

2005 BFS granted Environment Agency's Low Impact Status for the Ilgars fertiliser production facility. BFS' new liquid fertiliser Dribble Bar receives "Best New Product or Innovation" award at the prestigious LAMMA show.

2008 Higher capacity suspension fertiliser plant installed to supply our East Anglia contract fleet.

2013 BFS Fertiliser Services administration team move from the Downham office to a new, refurbished office building at the Fertiliser Plant, just outside Woodham Ferrers.

2014 New Unimog-based sprayer purchased to apply liquid and suspension fertilisers around East Anglia, improving our "Supply and Apply" Service.

2015 Extra storage tanks added to Ilgars bunded site to facilitate further, multiple loading points.

2015 New BFSfertiliserservices.uk website launched.

2016 New larger capacity mixing vat installed in the manufacturing plant.

2017 New additions made to the tractor and trailer fleet, complete with the new BFS corporate livery.

2018 PolyNPlus, the revolutionary new foliar fertiliser range, is made available countrywide, with coverage in many national magazines and on their websites.

2020 A second new mixing vat installed in the manufacturing plant, doubling production capacity.

2023 BFS celebrates its 75th anniversary.