The Wholesale Group attracts over 350 members and suppliers to trade show

The Wholesale Group brought together more than 350 members and suppliers at Cheltenham Racecourse for its annual Trade Show and awards – its largest gathering to date.

The Wholesale Group showcased its growing portfolio of own-brand ranges.

There were 130 attendees from retail and foodservice wholesalers, and the event featured 99 exhibition stands, as well as cooking demonstrations, product tastings and giveaways.

The Wholesale Group also used the event to showcase its growing portfolio of own-brand ranges. CHEF Approved and CHEF Prestige are developed specifically for caterers and foodservice operators, covering everything from coffee to a broad range of food and catering essentials, including the CORE range of fruit juices.

CLEAN Solutions completes the portfolio with professional hygiene and cleaning products. Combined, the four ranges span more than 300 products across eight categories.

Jess Douglas, managing director at The Wholesale Group, said: “Very few events in the industry can showcase quality and innovation on this scale, across both retail and foodservice, but our Trade Show continues to evolve into a flagship event for the sector that really gets people talking.

“As a buying group, we bring together forward-thinking suppliers and connect them with businesses who can help get their products into the market. The Trade Show is a powerful platform for collaboration, and a key part of our overall strategy. It’s important to share learnings, connect like-minded businesses and recognise talent in this way, to enable collective growth.”

After the Trade Show was an awards evening, where suppliers and members were recognised in 17 categories for their efforts across engagement, social media, charity contributions and overall performance. This year also saw the introduction of a new Outstanding Achievement award.

Chairman Mark Aylwin introduced the awards and reflected on the resilience of the sector, noting that wholesale has faced more disruption in the past five years than in the previous 20. He also pointed to a changing future for wholesale, shaped by data, technology and partnership.

Wholesaler award winners:

Waterside Food Services won the inaugural Outstanding Achievement award.

Social Media Member of the Year: Thomsons

Head Office Engagement Member of the Year: Dennis Edwards

Frozen Member of the Year: Holland Bazaar

Own Brand Member of the Year: Ewood Foods

Foodservice Member of the Year: Charles Saunders

Retail Member of the Year: Universal

New Member of the Year: AC Georgiades

Green Wholesaler Award: All Shires Foods

Charity & Community: Millennium

Outstanding Achievement: Waterside Food Services

Supplier award winners:

Service Supplier of the Year: Orderlion

Digital Supplier of the Year: Coca-Cola Europacific Partners

Chilled & Frozen Supplier of the Year: Lutosa

Non-Food Supplier of the Year: Wrapex

Own Brand Supplier of the Year: Lantmannen

Retail Supplier of the Year: AG Barr Group

Foodservice Supplier of the Year: Kerry Foods