F.P. Gaunt & Sons has an enviable and well-respected reputation as one of the West Midlands’ premier funeral firms. Since 1900, the family-owned independent has seen six generations of the Gaunt family proudly serve the Black Country and surrounding areas with dignity and care. With 125 years in business, the Gaunt family name has become synonymous with professionalism, style, and a long-standing commitment to excellence.
Forth-generation Peter Gaunt is now retired, and the ever-evolving family business is now run and managed by his Daughter Heidi, her husband Darren and his grandsons Sam and Jake Gaunt.
In 2022, F.P.Gaunt & Sons underwent a complete overhaul of the company image. This rebrand was a strategic decision to modernise and better reflect the firm’s evolving services, aligning with the Gaunt family’s commitment to providing the best funeral services in the West Midlands. The rebrand included a new company logo, updated brand styling and colours, refurbishments across all four branches, and a fresh new grey uniform.
The most exciting upgrade was a bold move from Jaguar to Mercedes-Benz and the delivery of a brand new bespoke PilatoMercedes fleet, including two Polaris hearses and four matching Lyra limousines from Superior UK, all beautifully designed and styled to the Gaunt family’s exact requirements.
Two years later, F.P.Gaunt has grown from four to six popular and busy branches. In December 2024, the firm took delivery of a third cutting-edge Polaris hearse, their seventh new PilatoMercedes vehicle from Superior UK.
Sixth-generation Jake Gaunt explains how the business continues to grow and expand and why the family requested an extra-special feature for the latest addition to their fleet.
Jake commented, ‘After searching for some time, we found the perfect location for our fifth property and opened our Kidderminster branch in September 2023; my brother Sam left HQ to set up and manage the new branch and achieved a very successful first year.’
He added, ‘We were then presented with an opportunity to take on an existing 100-year-old funeral firm in nearby Stourport, which became our sixth branch. Naturally, the increased demand on our fleet meant we needed another hearse to serve our families efficiently.’
The Gaunts ordered their new Polaris hearse with a unique build request – a bespoke infant deck designed to carry infant caskets. The Gaunt family has worked closely with Acorns Children’s Hospice and Birmingham Children’s Hospital for many years, offering their services, including transfer into care and a hearse and limousine for the funeral, completely free of charge.
Jake commented, ‘Baby caskets can be fitted to the main deck; however, we felt a purpose-built raised deck would make the deck look and feel less vast, so we asked Superior to work their magic and develop a design for us.’
He added, ‘They created a beautiful fitted deck with LED lighting underneath, engraved with a teddy bear and balloons. We were delighted with the design; it adds that extra touch of care and compassion, which is important to us and comfort to grieving families.’
