Harlech Foodservice sees a 1,100% increase in festive pre-orders

Harlech Foodservice has seen a 1,100% increase in festive pre-orders.

Managing director Mark Lawton with Harlech Foodservice colleagues Nikki Morgan and Laura Griffiths.

A Christmas brochure deal, whereby customers are given a free bottle of Prosecco if they make a pre-order of £250, contributed to the substantial rise in pre-orders.

The news was announced by the Gwynedd-based wholesaler as 40 staff and 28 producers gathered for its first Christmas Roadshow, held at the Ramada Plaza in Wrexham.

The firm is expecting its busiest Christmas yet with its new brochure featuring 420 products, including 78 new lines destined for festive menus in restaurants, pubs, schools and hospitals in Wales, the North West of England, Shropshire and the Midlands.

At the Christmas Roadshow, suppliers took part in speed-dating style sessions where the Harlech staff, all wearing Christmas jumpers, Santa hats and reindeer costumes, were given just eight minutes to taste their products and chat about their festive offers.

Harlech Foodservice’s commercial manager Chris Gregson said: “All the suppliers here feature in our Christmas brochure and we have colleagues from Harlech’s sales, supply chain, commercial and marketing teams attending to taste, feel and ask questions about the suppliers’ products.

“The Christmas Roadshow is all about our suppliers educating and energising our sales team so they can go out there and confidently inform and sell to our customers from our Christmas brochure.

“It is the first time we have done something like this, and it has been a tremendous success.”

Harlech managing director Mark Lawton added: “I am a great believer that if you’re going to sell something, you need to know all its features and benefits, and you cannot see that from a photograph.

“When you are sitting down with a customer you need to explain what the product is, you need to explain how it fits their menu, the portion sizes, the margins they can make selling that product.

“Christmas is huge for the food and drink sector and a key trading time for us when you think about the breadth of Christmas parties, events and celebrations that take place.

“Ultimately the Christmas Roadshow and the brochure is about helping our customers have a successful Christmas.”

The early festive fun comes as Harlech, which has bases in Criccieth, Chester, Carmarthen, Aberbargoed and Telford, is on course to achieve record sales of £75 million following a rapid expansion across Wales and England.