Harlech Foodservice opens new Shropshire depot

Harlech Foodservice has opened a new depot in Telford as it expands into the West Midlands – an area it has identified as ripe for growth.

David Cattrall (left) of Harlech Foodservice and Matt Farrall of hauliers Farrall’s.

North-Wales-based haulier Farrall’s owns the Shropshire site, and its managing director Matt Farrall offered Harlech’s managing director David Cattrall the spare capacity.

There is scope for the two firms to work together, with Farrall’s lorries able to deliver Harlech consignments to customers if routes coincide, so the arrangement is more than just a straightforward rental of a site.

The Telford opening is part of a £6 million plan by Harlech to create 150 new jobs. This has been fired by the company’s growth over the past three years which has seen sales increase from £32 million to £50 million and profits of more than £2 million.

Ian Evans, Harlech’s head of operations, said: “Initially we will employ five drivers there along with another driver here in Criccieth.

“Both businesses [Harlech and Farrall’s] are expanding and have ambitions to grow in the same areas so it makes sense to work together.”

Farrall added: “We believe in forging partnerships with other businesses to the benefit of both and that is the case here – we are both in the distribution business but not in competition so this makes sense.

“We share many of the same business principles as Harlech – both companies are growing and at the same time are committed to reducing their carbon footprint in sectors where that isn’t easy to do but we have both taken steps to do so.”

Harlech operate from bases at Criccieth, Chester, Merthyr Tydfil and now Carmarthen with the recent acquisition of Celtic Foodservices. Between the four locations, it has 250 staff and delivers up to 5,000 product lines to cafés, restaurants, pubs and public sector customers across the whole of Wales, Shropshire, the Midlands and the North West.