Country Valley Foods joins Country Range Group

Stockton-on-Tees based Country Valley Foods has joined the Country Range Group (CRG).

Set up in 1971 by Stewart Munro and Eric Duggan, Country Valley Foods offers a range of fresh meat, dry goods, chilled, frozen and janitorial supplies to the hospitality, retail, education and healthcare sectors.

The family business generated £29 million in turnover in 2023 and has 24 vehicles delivering five days a week across North East England.

Edward Munro, joint managing director of Country Valley Foods, said: “We’re incredibly excited to be joining the Country Range Group and are confident that their expertise, buying power and culture of continuous improvement will enhance our offering and service to help drive significant growth over the coming years.”

Country Range Group chief executive Martin Ward added: “It’s a great pleasure to announce Edward and his team as the latest member of the Country Range Group family. Over the last 50 years they have built a great name for themselves and a resilient business so we’re looking forward to working with the whole Country Valley team to help them take the next step and reach their next targets.”

Originally established under the name Teesside Frozen Foods to supply frozen foods to small local supermarket chains, the business relocated to Darlington in 1986 and rebranded as Country Valley Foods.

Introducing a selection of fresh poultry, the business began supplying butchers and bakers with chicken, turkey, bacon, gammon, frozen pies and other frozen goods. With the retirement of Eric Duggan in 1998, Stewart Munro’s sons James and Edward took the reins and expanded the business into foodservice.

With strong growth, the business took on a second site at Billingham and in 2017 it became the company’s primary HQ with the addition of a state-of-the-art cutting plant, dry aging room and additional freezer and fridge space.

In 2018, Country Valley Foods fully integrated the fresh meat and foodservice parts of the business and invested in its digital platforms, online ordering and ordering app.