Welcome to the September issue of Wholesale Manager. Parfetts has opened a new 113,000 sq ft depot in Southampton, creating over 100 jobs and driving its push towards £1bn turnover and 2,000 fascia members. The Hedge End site is the first new cash and carry in the region for 25 years, serving retailers from the South Coast to Greater London. It is already attracting strong interest from independents, including Bristol’s first Go Local store, which launched earlier this summer.
Family-run South Wales retailer Griffiths Forecourts has signed a new five-year supply agreement with Co-op Wholesale, reinforcing a long-term partnership built on trust, quality and shared values. Operating three thriving Nisa Local convenience stores – in Llantwit Fadre, Bridgend and their newest site in Miskin near Pontyclun–Griffiths Forecourts has been serving local communities for generations.
Woods Foodservice is thrilled to announce the return of its highly anticipated Market Day for 2025, an exclusive event designed to connect chefs, suppliers, and food enthusiasts in a day of culinary discovery, inspiration and community. This year’s Market Day will take place at Woods Foodservice warehouse on 16th September, 11am-4pm, and again, promises to be an unmissable experience. It will include live cooking demonstrations from three of the UK’s most celebrated and award-winning chefs: Chetan Sharma of BiBi, Tom Brown of Pearly Queen and Adam Byatt of Trinity Restaurants.
Darren Labbett has been at Woods Foodservice all his working life, since the age of 16. He eventually took over the business from his parents, after gaining experience in operations. He has now served long enough to see all three of his children work in the business, paving the way for the future. Darren Labbett, CEO, Woods Foodservice, tells Wholesale Manager his goals for the business and about the biggest challenges he has faced as a wholesaler.
There are strategically important people all around the business. They possess the knowledge to get things done and the collective memory relating to how and why systems and processes have evolved. They often (but not exclusively) reside in the middle tiers. In the rush to cut costs it takes time to carefully figure out what happens when they are taken out of the equation, writes David Gilroy.
Barcode Festival 2025, GroceryAid’s annual fundraiser, has raised more than £1.4M for the charity. On a blisteringly sunny day, some 5,300 people including suppliers, retailers and workers from across the industry flocked to Kenwood House in London’s Hampstead Heath to enjoy food, drink and networking opportunities. Wholesale Manager caught up with Mandy Leonard, Welfare Director at GroceryAid and Kieran Hemsworth, CEO of GroceryAid to find out more about the event.
Enjoy reading the issue.
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