About the member
Hi, I’m Darren, Managing Director and owner of Aston & James, a family-run workplace supplies and solutions business based in Witney.
I’ve been with the business since 1997. I started as an apprentice and took ownership from my brother in 2012, so you could say I’ve grown up with Aston & James. I still really enjoy what I do, particularly meeting people, understanding their businesses, and seeing where we can help. For me, business has always been about relationships first – getting to know people, being useful, and hopefully building something that lasts.
I'm passionate about leadership, continuous improvement, and seeing challenges as opportunities. I enjoy collaborating with local businesses, supporting community initiatives, and staying curious about how workplaces are changing.
When I’m not at Aston & James, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll find me on a padel court or training for a charity event such as a bike ride or half marathon.
About the business
Aston & James is a family-owned business based in Witney, and we’ve been helping organisations make their workplaces work for more than 36 years.
The easiest way to describe what we do is “Everything for the Workplace.”
This could be anything from office, catering, and facilities supplies, or something more involved like new furniture, an office fit-out, ergonomic support, workwear, branded merchandise, print or technology.
A big part of what we do is simply make life easier. Instead of customers managing multiple suppliers, deliveries, and contacts, we try to bring it all together through one trusted local partner. If someone needs something and isn’t sure where to start, our approach tends to be: ask us, and we’ll see if we can solve it.
We’re proud to be an independent Oxfordshire family business. In 2026, we became a Certified B Corporation, recognising the work we’re doing around our people, customers, community, environment, and the way we run the business.