More than just an own brand - The Caterfood Collection

March 20, 2025

Wanting to do things differently at Caterfood Buying Group (CFBG), creating our own-brand range, The Caterfood Collection, has been no exception. The process has followed a unique and collaborative approach, focusing first and foremost on quality.

Products for The Caterfood Collection are tried, tested and selected at bi-monthly CFBG Tasting Panels, attended by key Buying and Sales representatives from across the CFBG Central Team and its eight member businesses. This ensures a detailed, collaborative and democratic process is followed when choosing each product.

Gavin Scott, Business Development Director for CFBG, said: “When it comes to our own-brand offering, put simply, we don’t want to stock the same products as everyone else just with a different label on it.

Instead, we’ve put a lot of time and effort into comparing different suppliers, taste-tasting hundreds of different products and selecting items for The Caterfood Collection based on the quality and flavour of the products. Then securing that product at a good deal for CFBG.

It’s not a quick process, but we believe it will definitely be worth it in the long run. The most important thing is that the Buyers from all of our Member businesses have been involved in the process; so the products have the backing of the whole Group."

The strategy behind the own-brand range has been to source the best products on the market and bring them to CFBG Members at a competitive price under The Caterfood Collection label. Currently, there are 150 Caterfood Collection products available, with new lines added as soon as they are ready.

The range is designed to have three tiers – Caterfood Basics, Caterfood Select and Caterfood Premium, offering customers a Good, Better and Best option. We're aiming to have up to 400 own-brand products commissioned by the summer, including adding more lines in bakery, patisserie, juices, seafood and butchery.

Gavin continued: “We want the customers of our members to get a great product which stands up to the competition - at a great price – knowing that they can buy in confidence from The Caterfood Collection. We’ve also not just stuck to the same tried and tested producers, often opting to work with smaller, more artisan producers, if we feel the product is right. Whereas other buying groups may overlook a smaller producer, we’re willing to be more open-minded.

Covering all the must-have items from tinned tomatoes to chips, to scones and cakes to ready-to-use sauces, we’re really proud of everything in the range so far. To put it bluntly; if we don’t like it, we just won’t list it.

Soon, The Caterfood Collection will be well-known in the industry for its quality.”

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Steven Lyons Appointed Director of Group Sales at Caterfood Buying Group

March 10, 2026

Steven is widely recognised for bringing clarity and structure to sales environments. His approach focuses on embedding robust pipelines, effective pricing frameworks and strong cross-functional alignment- helping businesses win the right work while protecting long-term profitability. In his new role, Steven will lead Caterfood Buying Groups’ GPO and framework strategy- creating a single commercial interface for procurement partners while maintaining the independence of each regional member. Key focus points include clear pricing frameworks, simplified group price file access, structured tender coordination, incremental volume growth and consistent reporting standards. On joining Caterfood Buying Group, Steven said: “Caterfood Buying Group has something powerful – strong independent businesses with deep local relationships. My role is not to change that. Its to give GPO partners one clear route into the group, make tenders, pricing and basket analysis simpler, and ensure we grow the right business in a disciplined way.” “We want to be easy to work with. Clear commercial frameworks. Regional execution partners who deliver. No noise, no confusion.” GPO and procurement partners looking to align frameworks, review pricing structures or explore incremental volume opportunities are encouraged to engage directly with the Group Sales Function. Steven will focus on building a simple, disciplined Group Sales engine that strengthens member businesses, protects independence and delivers sustainable, profitable growth across the group.

Caterfood Buying Group Launches Own-Brand Potatoes

February 27, 2026

The Caterfood Buying Group is proud to announce the launch of its own-brand fresh potatoes, marking a major milestone for the UK foodservice sector. This initiative makes Caterfood one of the first buying groups in the UK to introduce its own-label fresh produce, setting a new standard for sustainability, provenance, and innovation. Sourced exclusively from British farms, Caterfood’s new own-brand potatoes demonstrate a strong commitment to supporting British farming while helping foodservice operators meet growing demand for responsibly produced ingredients. The potatoes are regeneratively farmed, focusing on soil health, biodiversity, and long-term environmental resilience. In a further industry-leading move, the CFBG will be planting a ‘Caterfood Forest’ to carbon offset directly on the supplier’s farm. Through tree planting and environmental projects located where the potatoes are grown, the supply chain achieves something truly remarkable: a carbon-neutral potato. This approach not only reduces environmental impact but actively contributes to positive change at farm level, reinforcing Caterfood’s belief that sustainability should be practical, transparent, and meaningful. Tom Workman, Commercial Director at the Caterfood Buying Group, commented: “This launch represents everything Caterfood stands for- collaboration, innovation, and responsibility, making this another important milestone for Caterfood. By supporting British farmers, investing in regenerative agriculture, and delivering a carbon-neutral fresh product, we are showing that sustainability and commercial success can go hand in hand.” The own-brand potato range will be available to Caterfood members nationwide, providing chefs and operators with a high-quality, British, and environmentally responsible staple they can trust. With this launch, Caterfood Buying Group continues to lead the way in shaping a more sustainable future for foodservice, one potato at a time.

Caterfood Buying Group Team at the Chef's own brands awards

Caterfood Collection Celebrates Award-Winning Start to 2026

February 20, 2026

We’re delighted to be starting 2026 on a high note, following a fantastic achievement at one of the foodservice industry’s most respected events. On 6 January , members of our own brand team attended the Chefs' Own Brand Awards , organised by Cash and Carry Management, and held at the iconic Royal Horseguards Hotel. The evening brought together leading professionals from across the sector to celebrate excellence, innovation, and quality in own brand products. Bringing Home Two Prestigious Awards We were incredibly proud to return with two awards , recognising the quality and consistency of our Caterfood Select range: Butchery Award – Caterfood Select Back Bacon Afternoon Tea Award – Caterfood Select Plain and Fruit Scones These accolades reflect the care, expertise, and attention to detail that go into every product we develop. Being recognised by industry experts and chefs is a strong endorsement of our commitment to delivering products that meet the highest professional standards.