MEMBERS
The Caterfood Buying Group has eight independently-run and highly-successful Member businesses operating across England, Wales and the Channel Islands.
GET TO KNOW OUR MEMBERS
Each Caterfood Buying Group member is incredibly diverse, and we’re passionate about preserving their respective independence, heritage and customer bases.
Our Members are:
South Lincs Foodservice,
Caterfood (SW),
Cimandis,
Nicol Hughes,
Elite Fine Foods,
Harvest,
Thomas Ridley Foodservice and
Turner Price.
East Midlands & East Anglia
Joined 2012
South Lincs Foodservice supports over 1,000 customers across all sectors of professional catering, most of which are within a 100-mile radius of its base in South Lincolnshire. The first business to join the Group, South Lincs Foodservice is very much at the heart of the Caterfood Buying Group and employs more than 100 people.
Led by Managing Director, Simon Davison, who has more than 15 years’ experience in the foodservice industry, who says: “Being part of the Caterfood Buying Group family enables South Lincs and our customers to have strength in depth that a standalone business could not access. This includes best practice, people, and products at fantastic prices. I’m a real coffee lover, so if I had to pick one, my favourite exclusive Caterfood Buying Group product is the Auresco Roma coffee - it’s delicious!”.
Devon, Cornwall & The South Coast
Joined 2016
A very well-established and respected foodservice supplier in the southwest, Caterfood (SW) is run by Kai Felton and his sister, Paige, and has been operating as a family business since 1970. With a heritage in frozen food, catering and distribution across Devon, Cornwall, and the Southwest of England, Caterfood (SW) supplies almost 2,000 customers and was the second business to join the group - and the inspiration for our name!
Kai Felton commented: “We have always been proud of the level of service we provide and offer all our customers a six-day-a-week delivery, with no minimum order requirements. Being part of the Caterfood Buying Group gives us the best of both worlds – we maintain independence to run Caterfood (SW) in the way that’s best for us and our customers but we also have the benefits of being part of a wider team of independently-run wholesalers, that come together to deliver the best quality, service and price.”
The Channel Islands; Jersey, Guernsey & Alderney
Joined 2016
Cimandis is the largest foodservice provider in the Channel Islands, delivering quality products to over 1,000 customers across the retail, hospitality and service industries. With depots in Jersey and Guernsey both including fresh butchery, Cimandis is passionate about offering fresh produce to this remote and picturesque part of the world. This includes the islands of Herm and Sark (where there are no cars allowed), so deliveries are made by boat and then by horse and cart.
Led by Managing Director, Nigel Holliday, who comments: “Cimandis has a lot of unique challenges when it comes to supplying the best products to our customers, so being supported by the Caterfood Buying Group to keep our business competitive and stocking exceptional, exclusive products - that no one else can offer our customers - has been game changing.”
London, Sussex, Surrey and Kent
Joined 2019
Based in Newhaven in East Sussex, Elite Fine Foods is well-placed to service London and the Southeast, specialising in offering high-end, quality ingredients across all ranges and more trend-led products, to help their customers stand out.
Elite is led by Managing Director, Franswa Snodgrass, who says, “We have a great team here at Elite, great customers and great products! With the support of Caterfood Buying Group, we have a lot of opportunity to work with amazing independent producers and operators across Sussex, Surrey, London and Kent. I’ve worked in Logistics for around 30 years and I’m really proud of the level of service that we offer our customers and know we have a great team of passionate, friendly people working at Elite.”
Northwest England and North Wales
Joined 2022
The leading supplier in the Northwest and North Wales, Nicol Hughes provides a 7-day delivery service from its base in Chester and specialises in supplying independent and destination pubs, restaurants and hotels as well as golf clubs, delis and coffee shops.
Led by Managing Director, Mark Moss, who was a chef before joining Nicol Hughes more than 20 years ago, Mark said: “Since joining the Group, there’s been no significant changes to how we operate day-to-day, which shows how well we’ve integrated into Caterfood Buying Group. I’m really looking forward to seeing the Group continue to grow and develop more fantastic products, which will only be more good news for Nicol Hughes and our customers.”
The South & South Coast of England
Joined 2023
Delivering an exciting range of quality products, Harvest is based in Hampshire and specialises in providing fresh produce, local products and fine dining, supporting a large number of hospitality customers.
Led by Managing Director Steve Whitwam, Harvest joined Caterfood Buying Group in early 2023. As one of our newest members, Steve says: “The Group is made up of like-minded, independent businesses, all supporting each other to navigate the challenges of wholesale food distribution, and here at Harvest we’re very much enjoying being a part of it.”
“Day-to-day, it’s been very much business as usual for us with no major changes, however, we’ve gained access and support from peers in similar businesses to share ideas and strategies with, which has been great.”
East Anglia and London
Joined 2023
Based in Suffolk, Thomas Ridley covers East Anglia, the surrounding counties and London, with a focus on hospitality. It also supplies several Group Contract customers in healthcare and education, delivering to multiple sites across a much wider geographical area.
One of the oldest and most diverse foodservice businesses in the Caterfood Buying Group, Thomas Ridley employs over 200 people, offers exceptional service levels and customer care, and has a comprehensive e-commerce focus, targeted at both trade customers and consumers.
Led by Managing Director Jon Marlow, who says: “Having the freedom to act locally whilst knowing you have the support of a wider group is a fantastic asset to Thomas Ridley. We are fortunate to have a large site and lots of potential to grow - and we’re excited to see where being part of Caterfood Buying Group takes us!”.
Midlands and the North of England
Joined 2024