Brakes has marked the opening of its environmentally sustainable Newhouse depot in North Lanarkshire with an official ceremony, attended by Richard Lochhead MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and the Environment, Gavin Whitefield CBE, Chief Executive of North Lanarkshire Council and Brakes Group’s CEO, Ken McMeikan.
The new, state-of-the-art multi-temperature depot in Scotland is part of the significant £125m investment Brakes is making into its UK operation over the next five years.
The 172,000sq ft. site is fully accredited to ISO 14001 standards and employs around 340 staff. Its storage spaces in ambient, frozen and chilled temperatures facilitate multi-temperature deliveries across Scotland, providing Brakes customers with a single order on one system, one delivery on one vehicle, all on one invoice.
A purpose-built development kitchen means Brakes can offer product demonstrations and menu planning to its Scottish customers, highlighting some of the many benefits of this innovative and efficient depot. It’s also good news for Scottish suppliers, as Brakes will be expanding its already extensive range of Scottish products, which supports over 80 Scottish suppliers and already contributes £68m to the Scottish economy.
Richard Lochhead MSP says: “I applaud Brakes’ ambition to double its sourcing of Scottish produce, and make the most of Scotland’s world-famous larder.
“The food and drink service sector in Scotland is a key market, with a turnover of around £3.8bn and 108,000 employees. Companies like Brakes that are actively sourcing local produce are to be commended and congratulated on the work they are doing. This will mean that more hotels and restaurants across Scotland will be able to put more Scottish products on their menus, which in turn will help our food and drink companies go from strength to strength.”
Ken McMeikan, CEO of Brakes Group, says: “As the largest foodservice supplier in Scotland, the opening of the new depot exemplifies our continued commitment to Scotland. Newhouse shows our dedication to delivering an outstanding service-based experience, which aims to help our customers thrive.
“We are committed to reducing energy emissions wherever possible and are very proud that the opening of Newhouse as another fantastically streamlined and efficient facility which continues to make Brakes depots the most sustainable in the foodservice industry.
“Our customers in Scotland will reap the benefits of this tremendous multi-functional multi-temperature depot, not least by streamlining the supply chain to minimise deliveries which also reduces road miles and reliance on fossil fuels, as well as increased accuracy of orders and reduced administration time and costs.”
Brakes’ investment in Scotland
Brakes is a committed partner to a number of Scottish bodies, including the Scottish Wholesale Association, Hospitality Trust Scotland, Scotland Food & Drink, ASSIST and Federation of Chefs Scotland.
Brakes Group is the largest foodservice supplier in Scotland, with:
- 639 employees based in Scotland
- 10,855 Scottish customers
- Over 80 Scottish suppliers
- £68m of Scottish products purchased annually
- 252,000sq ft. of warehousing Scotland, plus a national call centre at Dalziel House
Brakes Group
Brakes Group is a leading supplier to the foodservice sector in the UK, Ireland, France and Sweden. As market-leading experts, they form strong, proactive partnerships that help businesses who serve food to thrive.
Employing 10,000 people, the Group supplies a diverse customer base from independent pubs, restaurants and hotels, schools, hospitals, contract caterers and well-known national chains. The group comprises a family of specialist businesses who deliver everything the caterer needs, including their very successful own brand ranges developed specifically by chefs, for chefs.
Brakes Group thrives on a deep understanding of customers’ needs matched with extensive sector and market knowledge. It is committed to corporate, social and environmental responsibility, striving for a positive impact on local communities and the environment.
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