Founded in 1966, Sterling Supergroup is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2026. It has 36 independent foodservice wholesaler members, including seven new members this year.
Every member is an equal shareholder regardless of size, creating a strong culture of cooperation and shared decision-making.
Daniel Larkin, Sterling Supergroup’s Chief Commercial Officer, tells Wholesale Manager what makes the company unique and what Sterling Supergroup is doing to be more sustainable.
What services does head office provide for Sterling Supergroup members?
Head Office provides a comprehensive range of commercial, analytical and marketing support to members. This includes supplier negotiations, rebate management, data analysis and reporting, member communications through our Under Our Hat publication, and the oversight of strategic supplier relationships. We also organise events that enable members to share best practice, strengthen relationships and identify new business opportunities.
Can you tell us some of the history of the company?
Founded in 1966 as the Independent Cash & Carry Group (ICCG), Sterling Supergroup was created to help independent wholesalers achieve more by working together. The group later adopted the Sterling name and has grown into one of the UK’s leading buying groups for independent foodservice wholesalers. Now in its 60th anniversary year, Sterling remains a member-owned co-operative built on the same principles of collaboration, strong supplier partnerships and collective strength.
How many members are in the group and what is the members’ combined annual turnover?
We currently have 36 independent foodservice wholesalers in the group, seven of which joined us this year. The group has an annual turnover in excess of £500 million.
What makes your company unique?
What makes Sterling unique is that we are a true member-owned co-operative built on the principle of ‘strength through co-operation’. Every member is an equal shareholder, regardless of size, which creates a highly collaborative culture and ensures decisions are made in the best interests of the membership as a whole. While commercial strength is important, we pride ourselves on the close relationships between members, suppliers and head office, creating a network where businesses share knowledge, support one another and work together to achieve more than they could independently.
How many catering outlets does the membership supply?
Sterling members collectively supply around 25,000 catering outlets across the UK and Ireland, including education, healthcare, hospitality and leisure sectors, as well as restaurants, pub chains, fast food outlets, cafés and event caterers.
Do you have an own label range and if so, what product categories are covered by the range?
Our own-brand range, Sterling Caterers Essentials, comprises around 300+ products across 47 categories. Built around the promise of ‘Essential Products at Exceptional Prices’, the range includes frozen, chilled and ambient food, as well as a selection of non-food products. Categories include vegetables, potato products, meat, fish, desserts, bakery, ingredients and catering essentials, alongside key non-food lines used across foodservice businesses.
As part of our ongoing range development, we will also be introducing a new premium own-brand range, with further details to be announced soon.
What events does the group run for members and suppliers?
In January, Sterling CONNECT brings members and suppliers together through a series of pre-arranged one-to-one meetings, creating focused opportunities to build relationships and identify new business opportunities.
Our Spring Show, held in March, allows members to meet with suppliers, review new products and promotions, and prepare their ranges for the busy summer trading period.
The highlight of the calendar is our Annual Conference in September, which combines networking opportunities, an exhibition, conference session, golf day, members’ AGM and a gala awards dinner. The exhibition provides an important platform for suppliers to showcase NPD, helping members shape their offering and plans for the year ahead, while the gala and awards dinner celebrates the achievements and contributions of both members and suppliers.
Alongside these events, we also hold monthly buying meetings that are open to all members, providing a forum to help shape the future development of the Sterling Caterers Essentials range, while encouraging discussion, knowledge sharing and the exchange of business best practice. Suppliers are also invited to attend these meetings to showcase their products to the members.
What is the group doing to celebrate its 60th anniversary?
Our 60th anniversary celebrations have focused on bringing together the people who have contributed to Sterling’s success over the past six decades. The year began with the launch of Sterling CONNECT, our new one-to-one networking event, created in response to member and supplier feedback for an additional event format to discuss opportunities and strengthen business relationships.
We have also undertaken the National Three Peaks Challenge in 24 hours to raise funds for three charities, with fundraising continuing through to our Annual Conference. The challenge forms part of our ambition to raise £60,000 during our 60th anniversary year in support of Hospitality Action, Action Against Hunger and FoodCycle.
Earlier in the year, members, suppliers and guests came together for a special 60th anniversary celebration at the Tower of London to mark this significant year.
The anniversary event programme will conclude at our Annual Conference in September, where we’ll reflect on 60 years of strength through co-operation while looking ahead to the future of the group.
Finally, as part of our 60th anniversary legacy, we will be launching a new premium brand range. This exciting development represents a significant milestone for the business, and we look forward to sharing further details in due course.
How did the 60th anniversary event at the Tower of London go?
The event was a great success and provided a fantastic opportunity to bring together members and suppliers to celebrate Sterling’s 60-year history. Around 120 guests attended the celebration at the Tower of London, representing both longstanding and newer member businesses from across the Sterling community.
The evening included a private tour of the Tower of London, an exclusive viewing of the Crown Jewels, a drinks reception, formal dinner and speeches reflecting on Sterling’s heritage and future. Most importantly, it was an opportunity to recognise the relationships, collaboration and community spirit that have been at the heart of Sterling’s success for the past six decades.
Congratulations on completing the Three Peaks Challenge. How much money did you raise for charity and what was the toughest part of the challenge?
Thank you. While we’ve successfully completed the National Three Peaks Challenge itself, our fundraising efforts are still very much ongoing and will continue through to our 60th Annual Conference in September. Our goal is to raise £60,000 during our 60th anniversary year for three fantastic charities, Hospitality Action, Action Against Hunger and FoodCycle. We are currently approaching the £40,000 mark. Anyone wishing to support the campaign can donate via https://gvwhl.com/L7IN5 .
As for the challenge itself, the toughest part was undoubtedly the physical and mental demands of completing all three peaks within 24 hours. It certainly isn’t a challenge to take on lightly. However, the experience brought the members and head office staff taking part closer together, with everyone supporting and encouraging each other throughout. Knowing we were raising money for three worthwhile causes and celebrating such an important milestone in Sterling’s history helped keep us going when it got tough.
What is Sterling Supergroup doing to be more sustainable?
Sustainability is an increasingly important focus for both Sterling and our members. As a buying group, our role is often to support progress by connecting members with specialist service providers that can help them better understand areas such as emissions reporting, environmental performance and broader sustainability initiatives.
We also look for practical ways to reduce waste and improve sustainability across our own activities, particularly at events and conferences.
When reviewing suppliers, particularly those involved in the Sterling Caterers Essentials range, we take sustainability and ESG considerations into account alongside other commercial and operational factors. We recognise the growing importance of responsible sourcing and are committed to working with suppliers who share our ambition to drive positive change across the foodservice sector.
More broadly, we see our role as helping members navigate an evolving sustainability landscape through collaboration, knowledge sharing and access to trusted expertise.
How has the wholesale industry changed in recent years?
The wholesale industry has become increasingly complex in recent years, with businesses navigating inflationary pressures, supply chain disruption, changing customer expectations and evolving sustainability requirements. As a result, there is a much greater focus on efficiency, data-led decision-making and building strong partnerships throughout the supply chain.
For Sterling, these changes have reinforced the importance of collaboration. Independent wholesalers continue to face new challenges, but they also benefit from being part of a group that enables them to share knowledge, strengthen supplier relationships and work together to identify opportunities.
Despite the pace of change, one thing has remained constant: the value of strong relationships. The independent wholesalers within Sterling continue to demonstrate remarkable resilience, adaptability and customer focus, which is one of the key reasons the sector continues to thrive.
Comments are closed.