Wholesaler expands and takes over rival

A Welsh wholesaler has taken over a rival company as part of its ambitious plans to grow and expand into new areas

Harlech Foodservice has acquired Celtic Foodservice, which is based in Pembrokeshire, in order to expand into south west Wales to meet increasing customer demand.

David Cattrall, Harlech Foodservice managing director, said: “I am delighted we have successfully acquired Celtic Foodservice and this strategic acquisition is a significant step forward in our mission to expand our footprint into South Wales.”

He praised Celtic Foodservice for its ‘strong reputation’ and ‘exceptional service’, saying: “By integrating Celtic Foodservice into our operations, we are poised to deliver even greater value to our customers through an expanded range of products, improved logistics and enhanced customer service capabilities.

“Our combined resources and expertise will enable us to better serve the foodservice industry, driving growth and innovation.”
All 12 members of staff at Celtic Foodservice are transferring to Harlech, including director Jason Davies, as well as its premises in Pembroke Dock.

This comes hot on the heels of Harlech’s new Camarthen depot opening earlier this year, in addition to its existing sites in Merthyr Tydfil, Criccieth in Gwynedd and Chester. The company has grown considerably over the past three years, with annual sales increasing from £32m to a record turnover of circa £50m, with profit at an all-time high of more than £2m.

Having tackled the challenges faced by hotels, pubs and restaurants with ‘aggressively competitive prices’, David Cattrall said: “There is clearly a big appetite for our approach in disrupting the way foodservice companies have traditionally operated. We have rejected the common practice of having inflated prices and increasing ‘negotiated’ prices without notice. Instead we have launched our new Trust Our Prices strategy with transparent and competitive pricing, backed up by excellent customer service. And to make life easier, our customers can order up to 10pm, with next-day deliveries six days a week.

“The acquisition of Celtic Foodservices is another new and important milestone our drive to provide a first class service to new and existing customers in every single corner of Wales.”

acquisition Celtic Foodservice David Cattrall Harlech Foodservice