Turnover and profits are down at JJ Foodservice

JJ Foodservice reported a 7% decline in turnover to £249.6 million for the year ending 31 March 2024. Profits were also down – from £19.5 million to £11.2 million.

Mushtaque Ahmed: ‘The past year has not been easy for the restaurant and catering sector.’

“The past year has not been easy for the restaurant and catering sector,” said JJ managing director Mushtaque Ahmed. “High inflation made it challenging for our customers to manage costs and while inflation has eased, we’re still seeing an impact with fewer hospitality venues in operation.”

In response, JJ Foodservice has focused on quality and service. This approach included acquiring Asian specialist wholesaler Gatelands Supplies to support Thai, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese outlets, and purchasing a freehold warehouse in Wimbledon to better serve premium restaurants.

“Our priority is quality and service, and our customers are integral to this journey,” Ahmed explained.

“The Gatelands acquisition has opened up new sectors and allowed our existing customers to add fresh Asian flavours to their menus – this diversification is key to our growth,” he added.

The focus is already paying off, with sales to Thai restaurants doubling since last year. “Our goal is to extend this approach to other cuisines, including Japanese, Korean, Turkish and Italian.”

In other news, JJ Foodservice has been officially accredited as a Great Place to Work.

The organisation Great Place to Work uses a rigorous, data-driven approach to measure employee satisfaction. This certification shows that most surveyed employees consistently feel positive about their experience at JJ Foodservice, with scores in some branches as high as 86%.

“We’re proud to be certified as a Great Place to Work!” said Joanna Florczak, head of HR at JJ Foodservice. “This is just the beginning of our journey to make JJ Foodservice a welcoming and rewarding place to build your career. Each member of our team plays a key role in making JJ a great place to be. So, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank every member of our JJ family.”