Darren Gaulton: ‘We have kept everyone on in the business.’

A family-owned foodservice company, Victoria Foods was set up over 37 years ago and specialises in supplying nursing homes with a wide choice of products, from fresh and frozen food to cupboard staples. It will continue to run independently, although it will have access to Charles Saunders’ extensive product range, including Fairway Foodservice own-brand lines.

“We are thrilled to have acquired Victoria Foods,” says Darren Gaulton, managing director of Bristol-based Charles Saunders Foodservice. “This is something that myself and Victoria Foods founder, Anthony Morris, have been discussing for quite some time and the collaboration of two family businesses always had an attractive appeal for us both.

“We have kept everyone on in the business and even signed an extension of the lease. Moreover, we will be investing in a new IT system to match what we currently have at Charles Saunders, which will be installed by the end of November.”

In addition, Charles Saunders will be investing in new temperature-controlled vehicles (joining its current fleet of 30) so that it can offer Victoria Foods’ customers fresh meat, fruit and vegetables, other local products and a wide range of cleaning and hygiene lines.

Customers of Victoria Foods will be able to place their orders online and through a newly updated app. They will be able to access their account 24/7, have visibility of all stock, search by brand and product code, and get next-day deliveries if they order by 10:00pm the day before.

The acquisition of Victoria Foods will be the fourth company that Charles Saunders has taken over since 2007. Over the last 50 years its selection of products has grown and it now stocks more than 8,000 product lines.