The Wholesale Group’s second Foodservice Fair attracts 105 suppliers

The Wholesale Group’s second Foodservice Fair, held recently at Stratford upon Avon Racecourse, saw more than 105 suppliers host stands in order to connect with 82 different wholesale businesses.

The average spend per member increased by 36%, with suppliers averaging 12 new member leads for new business.

The Wholesale Group added new elements to the show, including a marquee to showcase Chef Approved and Chef Prestige, the group’s own-brand product range, as well as a Food Truck Village promoting outdoor event catering and food-to-go products.

The group’s new chairman Mark Aylwin praised the event: “As my first event since becoming The Wholesale Group Chair on 1 September, I was hugely impressed by the passion and commitment shown by both members and colleagues. The energy in the room, the level of supplier engagement, and the clear focus on growing independent wholesale all reinforced that this is a market-leading collective, setting new standards for what a buying group can achieve.”

Suppliers, including Hemant Patel of Roxane Waters, agreed: “This was our first time attending The Wholesale Group trade show and the interaction with members was exceptional. We are developing a great relationship with the group’s retail and foodservice wholesalers. We came away from the show with lots of new leads plus we put in place some great growth plans with those we are already dealing with. Well done to the TWG team for a very well-run event which was a great use of my time.”

Mark Simpson of KTC Oil, commented: “This event was our first for this group and there was an excellent buzz all day,” he said. “We were dealing with both Confex and Fairway previously, but since becoming The Wholesale Group we have seen sustained growth and drive from both members and head office. A diverse membership base helps us to sell a wide variety of SKUs across the group, creating sustainable business and long-term relationships which continue to grow.”

Members also benefited from the chance to connect with suppliers. “We enhanced existing contacts with some suppliers and opened up conversations with many new ones,” said Michael J Cole, chairman of All Shires. “It was great to learn more about the group’s advancements on systems and tech, all of which will be extremely useful to us.”