Weekly news summary 17th April 2015
HEADLINES THIS WEEK:
– CATERWAY COLLAPSE: WHOLESALER ENTERS ADMINISTRATION
– BOOKER PREMIER CLUB REACHES 3,000 MARK
– KFF TO QUADRUPLE SIZE OF WITNEY DEPOT
– JJ FOOD SERVICE JOINS FORCES WITH LAVAZZA COFFEE
EX-CATERWAY CUSTOMERS DIRECTED TO HYPERAMA
Nottinghamshire wholesaler Caterway has ceased trading after failing to secure new investment.
The Sutton-in-Ashfield-based company, which specialised in supplying fish & chips and related products to the hotel, restaurant and takeaway sectors, entered administration last month following a ‘sharp deterioration in trading’.
Established in 1937, Caterway joined Landmark Wholesale at the start of last year and supplied over 600 customers along the M1 corridor between Northampton and Leeds. The company also had two depots in Alicante and Malaga in Spain.
FRP Advisory’s Nathan Jones and Chris Stirland were appointed administrators of the company on 20 March. All 22 employees have since been made redundant and an asset realisation process is underway.
Stirland said: “Caterway had come under increased financial pressure in recent years. Attempts to seek investment and buyers for the business failed to materialise, leaving the directors with no choice but to seek the protection of administration.”
Hyperama, which was linked with purchasing the food wholesaler, has since employed some of Caterway’s sales representatives, but managing director Marcus Singh refuted suggestions that the group will be looking to supply Caterway’s now defunct customer base.
Nevertheless, Caterway’s Facebook page is currently directing customers to ‘contact Hyperama for any future needs’.
Caterway’s demise comes less than three months after managing director Rob Atkinson announced plans to sell the Leeds depot and integrate operations into the main Nottingham site. Atkinson was also appointed to the Landmark board late last year.
GROWING RETAIL CHAINS FOR BOOKER
Booker’s Premier retail club has reached the 3,000 mark with the opening of Wensleydale Convenience Store in Blythe, Northumberland.
It was officially opened by the owner Peter Saleem and director of Premier Martin Swadling.
The retail chain has also opened its first branch in Northern Ireland – an 870 sq ft outlet formerly trading as Vivo in Newtownards.
Booker has also announced that three stores have joined its growing Family Shopper chain. They are at Hoyland (Barnsley), Newcastle and Manchester.
Tel: Booker Group (01933) 371000
KFF EMBARKS ON DEPOT RENOVATION PROGRAMME
Foodservice wholesaler kff (Kent Frozen Foods) is spending £750,000 on renovating its Witney, Oxon, site. When the work is completed, it will result in the depot quadrupling in size. The building was acquired five years ago as a satellite site to the main depot and headquarters at Aylesford, Kent.
kff has a turnover of more than £40 million and operates a fleet of over 60 vehicles.
Logistically, the improved building will enable the delivered wholesaler to add new routes outside of the present catchment area – up to a 40-mile radius of the site.
The staff number will be increased from six to 24 and LED lighting is being installed.
The capacity for frozen foods at Witney is being increased by 55%, for chilled foods by 90% and for ambient products by 80%.
This means the depot will be storing the full product range rather than shunting in certain lines from the main depot, which is itself being improved over the next 18 months.
Managing director of the Caterforce member Chris Beckley said: “The Witney expansion is a sign of things to come as we look to expand further north. As well as achieving excellent energy and resource savings, the expansion has allowed us to greatly improve our service levels to customers along the M4 corridor.”
Tel: kff (0500) 829798
JJ FOOD SERVICE LAUNCHES COFFEE PROMOTION
JJ Food Service has linked with Lavazza Coffee to offer caterers coffee-related lines via social media ahead of National Coffee Week (starting on 4 May).
One winner will receive an Espria A Modo Mio machine with a starter pack of capsules and a month’s supply of Qualita Rossa roast and ground coffee (250g). For two runners-up there are POS packs, which include Lavazza plastic table talkers, menus, loyalty cards, stamps and window stickers.
The competition is open to all caterers, coffee shops, restaurants, pubs and hotels who serve, or would like to start serving, Lavazza coffee.
JJ Food Service general manager Terry Larkin said: “The out-of-home coffee market is valued at £7.2 billion and is expected to grow to £16.5 billion across 27,000 outlets by 2020.”
Tel: JJ Food Service (0843) 309 0991
