Trio of new supplier members for FWD
We catch up with the latest suppliers to join the FWD membership to find out what they’re offering to the wholesale sector
Pictured left to right above:
- Ian Bond, Senior National Account Manager Wholesale, Bazooka Candy Brands
- Karen Jones, Channel Controller, RH Amar
- Steve Farmiloe, Sales Director, Caterers Choice
You have to make an elevator pitch about your company. How would you describe it?
KJ: RH Amar is one of the UK’s leading full-service distributors and growth partners for ambient foods. It is a third-generation family run business supplying all UK retail channels including wholesale, which has been a key part of the business since it was founded more than 75 years ago.
Our brand portfolio includes some of the UK’s best-loved brands such as Del Monte, Dr. Oetker and Kikkoman, alongside specialist foodservice brands including McCormick and Major International.
IB: We are all about edible entertainment and creating delicious candies with interactive packaging and exciting flavours. Bazooka Candy Brands is leading the way in the kids sub-segment of sugar confectionery and our portfolio of predominantly individual items includes the bestselling Juicy Drop Pop, the gem-shaped Ring Pop and Push Pops. Our product range is growing and we have recently focused on chews, launching a full NPD range under the Bazooka brand.
SF: Family owned and operating for more than 30 years, Caterers Choice is a seasoned importer of canned and ambient foods from around the world. We supply our foodservice, wholesale, manufacturing and retail customers with own, customer and supplier branded goods across a range of categories.
What are the latest goings-on within the business?
KJ: We were recently named best UK Food & Drink Company To Work For by Best Companies and this accolade is reflective of a team of colleagues who are truly passionate about the food industry and enjoy what they do. We hope this is evident in the way we do business and our commitment to deliver the best service and products for our customers.
SF: As a team, we’re 100% customer-driven with two key areas at the forefront of our current agenda: product availability and helping our customers manage food inflation. Over the past two years, we’ve invested in our supply chain to ensure we’re closely monitoring market demand, planning accordingly and ensuring we have the right stock, in the right place at the right time. We’re striving to identify ways we can help our customers manage food inflation. This involves utilising the full width and breadth of our supply base to find the best value solutions for our customers.
What can you offer FWD’s membership and the wholesale sector?
KJ: We’re committed to supporting our brands and helping wholesalers and retailers compete in this ever-growing route to market. Our breadth of range offers a one-stop shop across retail and foodservice, with core range alongside new, exciting brands entering the UK market. We have developed our range to meet wholesalers’ needs and have a key strategy for wholesale, with targeted plans in place to support our brands at every level, helping to drive volume through the channel. With ongoing cost of living pressures, we are focused on continuing to deliver best value and offering a range reflective of this with strong promotions and increasing focus on price-marked packs, which we know drive value.
IB: As children’s confectionery category leader, we offer knowledge and advice to make the most of your confectionery feature. Children’s confectionery is a major win for convenience retailers as our research shows that children prefer smaller local stores to supermarkets as they tend to find a greater selection of treats on offer. The premium pricing of children’s confectionery also allows for strong margins for the wholesale sector.
SF: We strive to be the supplier of choice for quality canned and ambient products at competitive prices, delivered to our customers on time with a great attitude. We pride ourselves on our expertise and sharing our knowledge with our customers, working collaboratively to achieve this.
Bazokka Candy Brands FWD members RH Amar
