Cash & Carry Management Dec 21

SPOTLIGHT ON NAVEED AHMAD OF SEVEN STARS C&C

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR CASH & CARRY/DELIVERED WHOLESALERS

North West Wholesale takes over Forrest’s independent retail arm

Booker HGV drivers ready to strike on Christmas Eve

Recognition of wholesale heroes at FWD awards

DECEMBER 2021

*Independent convenience and Booker/BRP retailers within the UK, 18+. Display the 2021/22 season Cadbury Creme Egg POS for the chance of a winning egg to be placed within your store between 26/12/2021 and 17/04/2022. If a winning egg is distributed in your store and is registered by the winning customer with the Promoter, you win. Independent convenience retailers: Prizes:1 x £1,000, 1 x £500 & 18 x £100 Amazon vouchers. Booker/BRP retailer prizes: 1x £1000, 2x £500 & 3x £100 Amazon vouchers. See https://www.deliciousdisplay.co.uk for full T&Cs. Promoter: Mondelez Europe Services GmbH – UK Branch, Sanderson Road, Uxbridge, UB8 1DH.

C ntents

December 2021

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our readers 16 06

Kitwave promotes Ben Maxted to chief operating officer.

ESSENTIALS 05 06 15

07

09

Blakemore sales in its first quarter up 12% year on year.

Diversification of Hunt’s business is reflected in new branding.

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Editor’s Comment Industry News Products & Promotions

FEATURES 12

Spotlight featuring Naveed Ahmad, general manager of Croydon-based Seven Stars Cash & Carry, a member of Confex.

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FWD Gold Medal Awards Around 750 people from across the wholesale industry gathered last month in London for the FWD’s annual awards – back after a year’s absence.

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Naveed Ahmad of Seven Stars Cash & Carry on his passion for both physical training and entrepreneurship – and proving doubters wrong.

In Focus Parfetts appoints a new employee voice manager, and joint managing director Guy Swindell explains why employee ownership underpins the company’s reputation for great service.

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13

Product of the month

CATEGORY INSIGHT 16

Tobacco & NGP Update Demand for value products continues to be the dominant trend in the tobacco, vaping and next-generation product categories.

Outstanding Contribution award goes to Unitas’s John Baines.

A new limited edition joins the Dead Man’s Fingers range.

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December 2021

03

Give everyone’s favourite this Christmas

ack format!

P g n i r a h NEW Centrepiece S Twistwrap* : No. 1 s n o i t a r C b e e l boxed chocolates Malt esers Box: No. 2 brand in everyday *Source: Nielsen Scantrack 52w data to 16.01.21

© 2021 Mars or Affiliates.

[ EDITOR’S COMMENT ]

A wish for wholesale R&R

A

s 2021 draws to a close, wholesalers continue to confront numerous challenges – driver shortages, reduced product availability, higher fuel and energy prices, problems arising from Brexit...the list goes on.

And now the wholesale industry faces further disruption – once again!

As this issue went to press, the UK was seeing changes to travel rules and workfrom-home guidance as a result of a rapid rise in cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant.

Wholesalers were bracing themselves for a sharp drop in orders from work canteens and office party venues, leaving surplus stock – particularly fresh food and festive lines – that could be difficult to shift.

We do not know how the COVID situation will unfold or what the impacts will be but, as has become the norm, wholesalers will have to be agile.

The cumulative stress of being on high alert will take its toll – people need a break. And while it may be the owners and senior managers that make the decisions about the direction of a business, uncertainty and instability in the marketplace can cause worry for employees at any level.

I recently spoke to two wholesale supervisors who told me that they were close to burnout. Both had been looking forward to some time off after the busy festive period to rest and recuperate,

SPOTLIGHT ON NAVEED AHMAD OF SEVEN STARS C&C

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR CASH & CARRY/DELIVERED WHOLESALERS

North West Wholesale takes over Forrest’s independent retail arm

Booker HGV drivers ready to strike on Christmas Eve

Recognition of wholesale heroes at FWD awards

DECEMBER 2021

but now the challenge of helping to deal with excess stock could jeopardise this much-needed R&R. If there was ever a year to salute people in wholesaling for all their hard work, this is it. We thought that 2020 was difficult, but ‘the perfect storm’ of supply chain issues this year means that many wholesalers have been under extreme pressure.

Therefore, in recognition of the importance of everyone who works in wholesale, I reiterate the message we first ran in Cash & Carry Management in April 2020 when the COVID crisis took hold: Thank you to all the delivery drivers, pickers, goods-in staff, forklift operators, shopfloor staff, admin staff, telesales teams, sales development reps, supervisors, managers and directors keeping the wheels of the wholesale food & drink trade turning during these challenging times. You are appreciated!

At some point over the next few weeks, I hope that you manage to get some rest and recuperation, and I wish you all a very happy and healthy New Year, with much calmer waters ahead.

Kirsti Sharratt Managing Editor

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December 2021

05

[ INDUSTRY NEWS ]

Business rebrand IB Group, which incorporates Hancocks and Bonds of London, has been rebranded as World of Sweets.

The company is the UK’s number one confectionery distributor, importer and wholesaler.

Its operations include e-commerce sites serving 55,000 customers per week, Hancocks’ wholesale depots with over 22,000 customers, field sales and a direct-tostore team covering 36,000 independent customers, and a national accounts team. a World of Sweets (0330) 202 0903

Milestone SPAR has hit the milestone of raising £2 million for Marie Curie since its partnership with the charity began in 2017.

The money raised through in-store fundraising, customer donations and onpack product donations is equivalent to 100,000 hours of care from a Marie Curie Nurse.

SPAR UK also distributed personal protective equipment (PPE) to Marie Curie Nurses delivering frontline care during the pandemic. In the South West and across the North of England, the nurses have been able to collect their PPE from their local SPAR store. a SPAR UK 020-8426 3700 06

December 2021

Prep for winter Brakes’ Virtual Winter Food Festival, which is live until 14 January, offers foodservice operators ideas and insights as they look to navigate the challenges of the festive season and plan for the new year.

Visitors to the event also have the chance to win £500 worth of Brakes vouchers in a prize draw.

A series of webinars is covering topics that include the #FairKitchens movement which is striving to make the industry a fairer, more inclusive and happier place to work; an insight into how caterers can make Veganuary a lasting opportunity; and a guide to the new calorie labelling legislation that comes into effect in April.

In addition to 22 supplier stands, the virtual event features six Brakes stands dedicated to hospitality, food to go, care and hospitals, new food, education, and winter menus, all of which offer products and solutions

to help caterers maximise the quality of their offer whilst helping them to reduce costs. These products are complemented by insights into food trends, downloadable resources, and on-demand video inspiration.

In other news, Brakes has launched ‘Pennies from Heaven’, an initiative enabling employees to donate the pennies from their salary each month to Meals & More.

A charity founded and supported by Brakes UK, Meals & More helps children who live in poverty, with no adequate food and activity provision in school holidays. a Brakes (01233) 206000

New COO Kitwave Group, the independent, delivered wholesale business, has promoted Ben Maxted (pictured) to chief operating officer.

Previously head of the frozen and chilled division, Maxted joined Kitwave in 2011 as divisional finance director of the automatic retailing division, a role he held for three years. He was then appointed as managing director of Eden Farm following its acquisition by the group in 2014.

Maxted is a chartered accountant, having trained at PricewaterhouseCoopers. a Kitwave 0191-259 2277

Support for local communities For the third year in succession, JW Filshill is encouraging KeyStore retailers to support their local food bank in the run-up to Christmas by placing dumpbins in-store for customers to donate food and other items.

KeyStore is also inviting retailers to engage with children’s nurseries in their area by donating Christmas selection boxes. This move comes

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after Chris Watson of KeyStore Corseford in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, visited his local nursery and discovered that they do not receive the same financial support as primary and secondary schools.

Craig Brown, chief sales & marketing officer at JW Filshill, said: “Our Christmas food bank campaign has been hugely popular with KeyStore retailers, with

many now supporting their local food bank throughout the year, not just during the festive season.”

JW Filshill has distributed over 250 dumpbins across the KeyStore estate, from Stornoway and Wick in the north to Doncaster in the south.

Meanwhile, Filshill has kickstarted its children’s nurseries campaign by donating 200 cases of selection boxes to Moorpark Early Learning and Childcare Centre in Renfrew, a nursery close to the wholesaler’s new headquarters which is due to open early next year. a JW Filshill 0141-883 7071

[ INDUSTRY NEWS ]

Drivers to strike Delivery drivers at Booker’s Thamesmead site are to strike on 23-24 December after a pay dispute flared up again.

The union Unite accused Booker bosses of ‘bad faith’ for reneging on an agreement that the drivers’ pay would be reviewed in February 2022, after they voted to accept a 3.3% pay increase in October (which is now in pay packets).

The 45-strong workforce will strike from 00:01 on 23 December until 24.00 on Christmas Eve. This action will hit deliveries to 1,500 convenience stores including Budgens, Londis, Premier, One Stop and many petrol stations.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is an act of bad faith by the Booker bosses. They promised a further review of pay rates to take place in February. They have now

Key role Harlech Foodservice has appointed Matt Flynn as head of purchasing & marketing.

He takes charge of the wholesaler’s growth into the North West and Midlands from its new Chester base.

Flynn (pictured) formerly worked for global mining company Anglo American before switching to the food sector as a buyer at Princes. For the past seven years (the last four as purchasing director) he has been at Green Gourmet, which manufactures bespoke products for global airlines, UK foodservice and retail. a Harlech Foodservice (01766) 810810

broken that agreement and thus have provoked the Christmas strike action.

“Unite is dedicated to advancing the jobs, pay and conditions of all its HGV driver members across the UK. That now includes holding the Booker bosses in Thamesmead to account for breaking a union agreement on the understanding that a review of drivers’ pay and employment conditions would take place in February and that Unite would be fully involved.

“However, the company has now scrapped the review and will uplift the drivers’ money by £2 per hour which is completely unacceptable. ”Our members are angry that the money being proposed falls well short of what they deserve, now that the current RPI rate of inflation is 6%.” a Booker (01933) 371000

Profits maintained

Blakemore's new distribution depot in Bedford.

Although AF Blakemore’s group sales for the financial year ending 24 April 2021 declined by 5% to £1.001 billion, pre-tax profits remained in line with the previous year at £6.1 million.

Shareholders’ funds and net assets grew from £85.7 million to £98.6 million.

According to chairman Peter Blakemore, the company’s foodservice and wholesale customers across the travel, tourism, leisure and educational sectors were heavily disrupted by

More category guides

Unitas Wholesale will shortly launch ‘Focus On’ guides on the biscuits and homecare categories, developed with pladis and Proctor & Gamble.

Tracey Redfearn, Plan for Profit category controller,

said: “The sweet biscuits category is now worth £2.4 billion in the UK and is experiencing growth, with over 99% of UK households buying into it, and the homecare category is worth over £97 million and is another key driver of basket spend.

“Throughout the guides, retailers will find more key advice on trends and best sellers, with supporting planogram guidance to help them grow these categories.”

These latest guides follow the introduction of a Christmas beers, wines & spirits ‘Focus On’ brochure, developed in partnership with Heineken. a Unitas (01302) 249909

the COVID-19 pandemic, but AF Blakemore’s multi-channel strategy enabled the business to meet changing demands and utilise its workforce to good effect.

He commented: “I am pleased to report that the company made good progress during the period to 24 April 2021.”

Despite market volatility, sales in the first quarter of 2021/22 were 12% ahead of the previous year. a AF Blakemore (01902) 366066

Fully funded The Scottish Wholesale Association (SWA) is running a fully-funded digital skills training course for its members.

SWA training provider Capita Learning has secured funding from Skills Development Scotland to run the BCS SCQF Level 7 course, which would usually cost £3,000 per learner.

The course has been designed to focus on data analysis and presentation, and fits with the SWA’s ‘Decarbonisation of The Wholesale Industry’ project – on completing the course, candidates will be capable of undertaking a decarbonisation audit of a business. a SWA 0131-556 8753

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

December 2021

07

[ INDUSTRY NEWS ]

Adalat Chaudhary Bestway has announced that one of its founders, Adalat Khan Chaudhary, has passed away.

Chaudhary (pictured), a childhood friend of cofounder and chairman Sir Anwar Pervez, began his career in the late ’70s as general manager of the Acton warehouse and later moved to the Abbey Road branch – at that time the largest cash & carry warehouse in Europe.

Ongoing partnership

SPAR Scotland is continuing to support women’s and girls’ football in Scotland through its partnership with the Scottish FA for the next two years.

The partnership began in 2019 with the launch of the SPAR Future Stars Cup which saw 105 schools across Scotland compete in the tournament.

The competition is designed to encourage girls aged 12-16 to participate in the sport and build on the positive momentum generated by the increasing profile of the Scotland Women’s National Team.

The second year of the SPAR Future Stars Cup will begin at the start of 2022. a CJ Lang (01382) 512100

Record sum raised GroceryAid’s Sporting Lunch raised more than £633,000 for the charity – a record amount for this annual event.

Held at Grosvenor House, London, the lunch was attended by more than 1,200 people from 198 companies, as well as many top sportspeople including football legend Geoff Hurst and Olympic rower Helen Glover.

At the lunch, GroceryAid president Charles Wilson (who shortly hands over to Allan Leighton), introduced ‘Ricky’s Story’, a film depicting the positive impact that GroceryAid support has had on an HGV driver’s life. a GroceryAid (0808) 8021 122

Woods wins green accolade He then went on to head up the central ordering department in 1994 and served as a director of Bestway Cash & Carry Ltd and a trustee of Bestway Foundation in the UK and Pakistan.

Chaudhary retired in 2016, after he made the decision to spend more time with his family. He passed away peacefully, surrounded by his close family in his ancestral home in Pakistan.

Speaking on behalf of Bestway, managing director Dawood Pervez said: “As one of the original pioneers of the cash & carry and a wellrespected member of the original team, Adalat will always be remembered for his gentlemanly style, along with his legendary negotiating skills. He will be deeply missed by everyone in the Bestway family.” a Bestway Wholesale 0208453 1234 08

December 2021

Woods Foodservice has won the Confex Green Wholesaler of the Year award, sponsored by Inspired Energy, in celebration of its environmental initiatives.

The Uxbridge-based wholesaler is a certified Carbon Neutral company, and its stated aim is to become carbon negative. A company spokesperson commented: “Huge congratulations to the team for their passion and commitment to reducing our environmental impact!”

Confex’s annual awards dinner took place after its first-ever Christmas Trade Fair, which was held at Stratford Racecourse and attended by more than 300 participants.

The group’s director Jess Douglas said: “It was fantastic to get everyone back together again and we

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Darren Labbett (centre), MD of Woods Foodservice, receives the Green Wholesaler award from Martin Williams (right), chairman of Confex, and James Sampson, partnerships director of award sponsor Inspired Energy.

appreciate the members and suppliers taking time out of their extremely busy businesses to attend. It reminded us all of the importance of human interaction in our industry.”

In addition to Green Wholesaler of the Year, Confex announced the winners of its supplier awards.

Lucozade Ribena Suntory and Joe Kinsey won Retail Supplier of the Year; The Kraft Heinz Company and Gunes Muftuoglu took the title of Foodservice Supplier of the Year; and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners and Jack Hadland was named Digital Supplier of the Year. a Confex (01608) 652333

[ INDUSTRY NEWS ]

New name reflects diversification Hunt’s Foodservice has rebranded as Hunt’s Food Group to reflect its diversification and plans.

While foodservice still represents more than half of the business, the Sherbornebased wholesaler also supplies farm shops, independent stores, coffee shops and online retailers such as Ocado and Mindful Chef.

Hunt’s Food Group’s diversification has enabled the business to become more robust. By adding new lines, such as health foods and regional products, the company has not only appealed to a new and more varied customer base but it has also increased sales with its existing customers.

“Having more to offer our

existing customer base has meant we have grown volume dramatically,” said group MD Thomas Hunt.

“Our customers benefit enormously from the fantastic relationships we have with them, and we have become a one-stop shop which makes their life much

easier. As a result of this, we have grown turnover from £42 million in 2013 to a forecasted £110 million in 2022.”

Hunt’s, which employs more than 600 people, prides itself on being a people-first business, with all senior members of the team having worked their way up

Independent business deal North West Wholesale has taken over the independent retail business of Forrest Fresh Foods.

Forrest’s commercial director Mark Craven said: “After over 15 years of building a fantastic retail division we feel this no longer fits with the direction of Forrest and have therefore given the opportunity to a reputable company whose growth plans fit best with our expansion at Forrest and our retail customers.”

Sugro member North West Wholesale, headed up by managing director Tom Lumsden, is now responsible for over 1,000 customers previously serviced by Forrest.

Located in Burscough in Lancashire, North West Wholesale is an independently-owned delivered wholesale business serving independent retailers,

Mark Craven (left) of Forrest Fresh Foods and Tom Lumsden of North West Wholesale celebrate the deal.

convenience stores and other food outlets.

Craven said: “We are fully supporting Tom and his team with stock etc to make the transition run as smoothly as possible. We will also be passing on all new customers that approach us and fall into the smaller retail remit. We are however still delivering nationally to our large retail customers.”

Craven added that Forrest

has decided to concentrate more on central distribution partnerships with manufacturers and will be launching its own products in 2022. It is also seeing growth in the overseas, discounter and national wholesale channels, and is pushing www.megaretailer.com “to new heights”. a Forrest Fresh Foods (0330) 002 1001 a North West Wholesale (01704) 320600

through the company.

“We are a Real Living Wage accredited employer,” said Hunt. “We also take measures to ensure our team has a healthy work-life balance, such as changing our order cut-off time to 4pm, and we no longer deliver on a Saturday.”

The business is also focusing on its environmental impact.

“We are working with specialists to lower our carbon footprint. We use electric and hybrid vehicles where we can, we’re installing solar panels at our head office depot, and have planted eight acres of trees,” Hunt reported. a Hunt’s Food Group (01935) 810200

Carbon offset Sugro took a forward-thinking approach to offsetting the carbon emissions for its recent convention in Dubai.

Working with Creating Tomorrow’s Forests, the Sugro team were able to calculate the carbon cost of hosting the event, and they then funded the planting of 300 trees within rural Somerset. Sugro intends to do this for all of its future events outside the UK. Creating Tomorrow’s Forest has also ensured that a conservation covenant will be applied to the areas where the trees have been planted, to guarantee the longevity of the scheme.

A total of 70 guests attended the Sugro conference, which was its first convention abroad for over two years. a Sugro UK (01270) 628728

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

December 2021

09

[ INDUSTRY NEWS ]

Central location Tiger Foodservice, the delivered foodservice division of Hyperama, has now focused its operation at the firm’s 100,000 sq ft warehouse and headquarters in Nottingham.

Until recently, Tiger Foodservice had been using the Hyperama branches at West Bromwich and Derby as regional hubs. Director Steve Davison said: “One central location means better efficiencies in terms of stock provision and order processing, as well as improved distribution and service levels for all our customers, wherever they’re based.”

The company has invested in additional ambient storage, freezers and chillers for the Tiger Foodservice business. a Tiger Foodservice (0115) 943 8943

Fresh livery Harvest Fine Foods, based in Totton, Southampton, has unveiled a new fleet livery.

The wholesaler has brought the branding up to date with images of meals and the ingredients for the dishes. New vehicles have also joined the fleet.

Harvest’s 38 vehicles are the most front-facing part of the business, delivering to customers in Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire, West Sussex, Surrey, Devon and the Isle of Wight. a Harvest Fine Foods (01202) 470444 10

December 2021

Hard work rewarded

Left to right: Country Range chairman Ton Christiaanse, Birchall Foodservice MD Justin Birchall, comedian Russell Kane, and Country Range managing director Coral Rose.

The Country Range Group celebrated the work of its members and suppliers at its annual ‘An Evening With’ event, held at the Barbican Centre, London.

The event incorporated the group’s annual awards.

Member awards winners: a Best Branded Supporter: Creed Foodservice

a Best Own Brand Supporter: Birchall Foodservice a Best Digital Activation: Turner Price a Group Member: Turner Price Supplier awards winners: a Marketing Excellence: Unilever Food Solutions a Business Relationship: Premier Foods

Home-starter help James Hall & Co, SPAR wholesaler for the north of England, kicked off the season of goodwill with a donation of a year’s supply of home starter hampers for the charity Lancashire Mind.

The donation will help new tenants who are being supported by Lancashire Mind and are moving into one of the charity’s 60 tenancy properties during 2022.

The hampers include products such as dried foods, tinned foods, confectionery, kitchenware, personal hygiene items and cleaning products.

The wholesaler also provided goody bag items for the charity’s Mental Elf 5K Fun Run that took place in Blackburn on 5 December.

In addition, James Hall

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funded the production of mental health and wellbeing awareness booklets with Lancashire Mind, aimed at supporting secondary school-age children during and post-pandemic.

Tom Murphy, marketing manager at James Hall & Co, said: “I’m delighted that we have been able to strengthen our partnership with Lancashire Mind as the charity provides incredible support to people across the Red Rose County who have a range of mental health and wellbeing conditions.

“We have 129 stores in Lancashire, many of which are in communities where Lancashire Mind has a presence.” a James Hall & Co (01772) 706666

a Service Performance: D’Arta a Insight Data Champion: Nestle Professional a Own Brand Supplier: Rich Sauces a Frozen Supplier: Lamb Weston a Branded Supplier: Unilever Food Solutions There was also a charity raffle which raised £5,360 for Hospitality Action.

Although the past year has been one of the most challenging for Country Range members and their customers, the group has still managed to increase turnover year on year. It has run live sales webinars with suppliers, introduced over 20 new own-label products and continues to sponsor the Student Chef Challenge. a Country Range Group (0845) 209 3777

Targeting more stores Nisa has launched a campaign to increase the number of stores supporting the Too Good To Go initiative, which fights food waste.

To mark two years of working with Too Good To Go, Nisa is aiming to grow the partnership to 1,000 stores from the 100 Nisa shops currently involved. Between them, these stores have saved more than 46,000 Magic Bags of food in the last 48 months, and saved 115,000kg of CO2e from going to waste.

A video and flyers have been created by Nisa. a Nisa Retail (01724) 282028

*

Non Price marked packs available. Retailers are free to set their own prices.

[ SPOTLIGHT ] Naveed Ahmad, general manager, Seven Stars Cash & Carry supportive family, I pursue my passions and strike a work-life balance by spending long, productive days at work and cosy weekends with family and friends.

How would you describe your personality and what approach do you take in business (and in life)?

Being a self starter, I am disciplined, determined, calm and approachable. I approach business pragmatically with a never-give-up attitude. I am kind, thoughtful and caring towards my family, friends and community.

Never-give-up attitude What have been your biggest achievements in work and outside work?

In 2018, I had a young family and so was looking for options of fresh milk supply in my community. At the time, I was working at Amazon Logistics as a delivery driver, and one day I had a delivery at Great Hookley Farm where I met Steve Sheppard. He was warm and welcoming and we spoke about opportunities in distribution of poultry products.

Meanwhile, in pursuit of finding a solution for fresh milk, I called several dairies around the UK. During one of the calls, I spoke to Mohammad Ejaz from Pakeeza Dairies. Right at the onset, we struck a chord and set up a meeting to discuss the possibility of working together.

Thus began the journey of Ever Fresh Dairy with a first order of just £36!

I bought a few trays of eggs from Steve and dairy products from Ejaz, and succeeded in selling them before midday to groceries and corner stores in my neighbourhood. By that evening, I had received more orders for the next week.

As word spread around the business community in my neighbourhood, orders started pouring in for more items.

I added a team with experience of working in a warehouse and distribution.

Seven Stars Cash & Carry was added 12

December 2021

six months later, and today it has turned into seven-figure revenue generator, serving grocers, corner stores, cafés and restaurants, as well as local communities, in Croydon, London.

Who has been the biggest inspiration to you?

Peter Jones and Duncan Bannatyne from Dragons’ Den. I watched the show and observed the business ideas that succeeded and those that did not. It fuelled my inner entrepreneur. My take from the show was to find what is missing, make it or build it, and succeed at selling it to those who need it.

What were your ambitions when you were growing up?

The youngest of six siblings, I grew up watching my elders co-exist, caring for and nurturing each other, and my father worked hard to provide us with every comfort his humble earnings could afford. I aspired to be a business owner, to build a product or service needed and bought by everyone.

What are your interests outside work?

I am passionate about entrepreneurship and fitness and physical training – I train five times a week at the gym. Having a

www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk

What has been your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it?

In 2012 I was aspiring to get into the fitness industry as a body builder. At the time I was told I could not achieve it.

Challenge accepted: in 2014 after achieving a dream body through discipline, determination and rigorous training, during which I taught myself the nuances of the fitness industry, I qualified as a fitness instructor and boxing coach and launched my own fitness brand, Fitnav, in the UK and United Arab Emirates.

What is your favourite film and song?

Favourite movies: Terminator 2 and Titanic. Favourite song: My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion.

If you won a holiday, where would you go and who would you take with you?

I would choose Cuba and take my entire work team of eight people with me. CCM

Serial entrepreneur Naveed Ahmad graduated with an MSc in Business & Finance from Kingston University London. He worked at Amazon Logistics as a driver and Chak 89 as general manager while also embarking on several entrepreneurial projects, including Fitnav, London Grill, Phone 4 Us, Ever Fresh Dairy, and Seven Stars Cash & Carry, where he is general manager.

Seven Stars C&C is a Confex member.

[ FWD GOLD MEDAL AWARDS ]

Wholesale heroes are recognised with return of FWD Gold Medals

T

he FWD Gold Medal Awards, which recognise the top performing wholesalers and suppliers in the UK, were back last month after a year’s absence due to the COVID pandemic.

The event, held at Old Billingsgate, London, attracted 750 people from across the industry.

AF Blakemore was the main wholesale winner, picking up three awards, while a new accolade for a wholesaler with a turnover of less than £20 million went to Harvest Fine Foods.

There were several awards for individuals, including drivers, telesales staff and depot workers.

FWD chairman Coral Rose commented: “The winners and shortlisted finalists are our wholesale heroes, and I want to tell them on your behalf just how highly we value their extraordinary commitment. Wholesale is a great place CCM to build a career.”

2021 Roll of Honour Retail Wholesaler Parfetts Foodservice Wholesaler Creed Foodservice Smaller Wholesaler Harvest Fine Foods Best Use of Data & Insight Time Wholesale Services Digital Innovation JJ Foodservice Green Wholesaler Booker Telesales Star Alan Mayor, AF Blakemore Star Driver Ryan Hunt, Bidfood Wholesale Star Tabitha Hunter-Smale, Sugro UK Emerging Talent Kelly Burrows, AF Blakemore Customer Development Ian Cawley, AF Blakemore Wholesale Manager Mazhar Akram, United Wholesale Grocers

Guy Swindell, joint MD of Parfetts, accepts the Retail Wholesaler award.

Philip de Ternant, MD of Creed, picks up the Foodservice Wholesaler award.

Telesales Star Alan Mayor of Blakemore.

Star Driver Ryan Hunt of Bidfood.

Outstanding Contribution to the Wholesale Industry John Baines (right), Unitas Wholesale Retail Brand Pepsi Max Foodservice Brand Hellman’s Licensed Brand Peroni Best Use of Data and Insight Britvic Process Innovation PepsiCo Digital Innovation Red Bull Best New Product – Retail Cadbury’s Twirl Orange Best New Product – Foodservice Hellman’s Vegan Mayo Service to Wholesale Kellogg’s Green Supplier Molson Coors Emerging Talent Frankie James-Howes, KP Snacks

Richard Strongman, MD of Harvest, collects the Smaller Wholesaler award.

Wholesale Manager Mazhar Akram of United Wholesale Grocers.

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December 2021

13

[ IN FOCUS ]

‘Our staff are our greatest asset’ Joint MD Guy Swindell is predicting further growth for employee-owned Parfetts as it continues to invest in its people, technology and service.

T

he future is looking bright for Parfetts, which has grown by 85% in the last five years. It boosted its turnover by 50% to £570 million in 2020, and joint managing director Guy Swindell is confident of further growth.

“We expect to build on a strong couple of years in terms of revenue growth and recruitment for our Go Local, Go Local Extra and The Local,” he said.

“We expect to reach 1,000 retailers across our fascias by the end of January. It’s an achievement that comes well ahead of our expectations and is a testament to the people across Parfetts that work hard to deliver great service.”

According to Swindell, employee ownership underpins Parfetts’ reputation for great service: “Our 800 staff are our greatest asset,” he insisted. “Every staff member has a say in the business

Parfetts, most recently business development manager, and she will lead the maintenance, communication and future development of its employee ownership culture.

Next year, in addition to focusing on its employees and recruiting new fascia customers, Parfetts plans to continue the geographic expansion of its delivered offer into the east and west Midlands.

Parfetts’ recent introduction of an app that offers next-day delivery has been well received by its customers.

“Our next-day delivery operations conand directly benefits in terms of staff tinue to grow, and we’ve had great feedbonuses. back on the range of offers available on “People tend to stay with Parfetts, our digital channels,” Swindell said. and our customers benefit from that The company is continuing to invest experience and passion for the job. I in its depots to support its GOLD (Go started at Parfetts 22 years ago, and we Local Direct) 24-hour model, which sees have many colleagues with similar time all seven branches operate as a cash & in the business,” he pointed out. carry during the day and then serve its Parfetts was established in delivered operations through 1980 by the Parfetts family, a the night. majority was sold to an Swindell concluded: “As Employee Trust Board in 2008, we continue to accelerate our and it became fully employeegrowth and expand our footowned in October 2018. print across the UK, we are Earlier this month, the investing record amounts in business appointed Zoe our people, technology and Employee voice Taylor to the new role of service to ensure our retailers manager Zoe employee voice manager. She continue to have the support Taylor.

CCM has held several roles within they need to succeed.”

Celebration of innovation, professionalism and commitment to communities Parfetts announced its annual Go Local retailer awards earlier this month at the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel in Manchester.

The retailers’ innovation, professionalism and commitment to local communities were celebrated, with judges noting the huge effort they had made through the pandemic to support customers.

The awards included recognition for a retailer for each of Parfetts’ operating regions.

Regional winners Nitin Limbani, Go Local Extra, Sunderland Bay Bashir, Go Local Belle Vue, Middlesbrough

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December 2021

Newcomer of the Year Haydn Hicks.

Robert Cooper, Go Local, Holywell, Flintshire Simrun Badh, Go Local Extra, Sheffield Jeyanand Sivapalan, Go Local Extra, Derby Rizwan Rafiq, Go Local Extra, Stoke

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Newcomer of the Year Haydn Hicks, The Local, Ulverston Digital Innovation Priyesh Vekaria, Go Local Extra, Manchester Community Award Sasi Patel, Go Local Extra, Oldham Most Improved Store Nathan Thiru, Go Local, Runcorn Retail Execution Parfull Kumar, Go Local Extra, Manchester Commenting on the awards, Guy Swindell, joint managing director of Parfetts, said: “The standard of the winners this year is truly impressive, and we are proud to recognise the best of retail.”

[ PRODUCTS & PROMOTIONS ] PRODUCT OF THE MONTH

Limited edition

Bold new look

Winter Warmer

Halewood Artisanal Spirits has introduced a new limited-edition Super Spiced Rum variant of Dead Man’s Fingers.

This latest addition has been aged for six years to deliver “intense flavour and silky smoothness”. It comes in 70cl and 1.75-litre formats, with rsps of £26 and £60.

The brand has also ramped up its marketing activity in the run-up to Christmas with its first-ever radio advertising slots, as well as a partnership with Kerrang! for the next series of its live gig series, the K! Pit, in London.

Halewood 0151-480 8800

KP Snacks has unveiled new packaging for Hula Hoops.

The new look, which features vibrant colours, sharp graphics and bold patterns, is designed to appeal to a wider audience.

The packaging refresh also brings the entire Hula Hoops range under a master-brand design, making it easier for consumers to navigate in store.

Hula Hoops is now worth £151 million at retail sales value and is growing at 9.1% year to date (Nielsen). It has a 4.5% share of the crisps, snacks & nuts category.

KP Snacks (0845) 601 7583

Nichols has brought back the seasonal limited-edition Vimto squash flavour Winter Warmer.

Available in a 725ml bottle format, Winter Warmer is on shelf until the end of January, while stocks last.

Extending the squash season outside of the core spring and summer months, the product delivers Vimto’s secret recipe, made from a unique blend of fruits, herbs and spices, infused with notes of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove.

Fortified with Vitamins C and D, the squash can be served hot or cold.

Nichols (01925) 222222

Golden Ticket

Rum flavours

Vegan-friendly

In celebration of Chinese New Year (1 February 2022), Westmill Foods is running a Golden Ticket promotion on Lucky Boat noodles.

Ten customers who find a Golden Ticket inside a 9kg box of No.1 Thick Noodles or 7.7kg box of No.2 Fine Noodles will win a supply of noodles for a year, and a further 300 boxes will contain a £30 gift card, which can be redeemed at various retailers.

For Chinese New Year, long noodles are the order of the day, depicting long life, explains the company. Lucky Boat noodles are suitable for vegans.

Westmill Foods 020-8345 8100

Mallows Bottling has launched a new range of flavoured rums under The Rummers brand.

Developed in partnership with Dutch rum specialist Scheer, The Rummers is available in five variants: golden rum, banana, citrus and sea salt, pineapple and spiced rum. All come in 70cl bottles and have an rsp of £27.99.

Mallows Bottling operates from a £5 million purpose-built distillery and bottling plant in South Wales where it undertakes contract bottling for international brands and produces own-label spirits.

Mallows Bottling (07990) 017711

Creative Foods has announced the launch of Harvest Farms Plant-based Southern Fried Goujons.

The vegan-friendly goujons are made from fully cooked, textured vegetable protein, coated in a light and crisp southern fried-style breadcrumb.

The new product is expected to appeal to non-meat eaters and also the growing number of people who are cutting down on their meat consumption.

Harvest Farms Plant-based Southern Fried Goujons come frozen in 1kg bags, which contain 20 pieces. There are 5 x 1kg bags to a case.

Creative Foods (01252) 846500

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December 2021

15

[ TOBACCO & NGP UPDATE ]

Lower-priced lines drive sales Wholesalers are encouraged to maintain stock levels of key SKUs in the tobacco, vaping and next-generation product (NGP) categories during the busy festive sales period.

T

he value of tobacco in the UK was £15.6 billion in the last year, with the ready-made cigarette category accounting for £11.1 billion (IRI). As part of the growing value trend, the roll-your-own (RYO) category has increased by 14.3% year on year and now generates sales of £3.9 billion annually (IRI).

JTI has introduced a new 50g format of Sterling Essential Rolling Tobacco to tap into the demand for value RYO products. Sterling Rolling is the UK’s fastest growing RYO brand (IRI).

Building on the success of the existing 30g pack (rsp £12.95), the new 50g size has a competitive rsp of £21.20. Both offer 15% POR and contain no filters and papers, giving existing adult smokers the freedom to purchase their preferred tobacco accessories.

The products also feature paper insert pouch packaging which contains less aluminium, and the blend generates less leaf waste compared to other RYO brands due to its unique whole leaf blend, according to the company.

Mark McGuinness, marketing vice president at JTI UK, says: “With the demand for value RYO products a key trend in the market, we want to support our retailers and wholesalers so that they can meet this demand by offering a quality brand with competitive rsps.”

The lower price tiers now account for the majority of Imperial Tobacco’s sales, with the sub-economy segment taking a 63% share of factory-made cigarettes, and the economy segment accounting for 51% of roll your own. Both segments are growing at 4% year on year.

“In order to effectively harness the sales opportunities this presents, retailers and wholesalers must be equipped with the right products and, importantly, the right knowledge to help their customers navigate the tobacco category,” advises Duncan Cunningham, UK corporate affairs director at Imperial Tobacco & blu.

He continues: “As with many other FMCG categories, there are seasonal spikes throughout the year, with an uplift ahead of Christmas as consumers stock up for the festive period. With this in mind, we would strongly recommend that wholesalers maintain stock levels ahead of this busy period, especially for our latest innovations tapping into value demand such as JPS Players Easy Rolling Tobacco and our new-look Richmond range, to ensure that retailers can offer full availability throughout to avoid missing out on sales.”

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December 2021

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Trio jailed after orchestrating £1.5 million tobacco scam A trio of tobacco fraudsters that attempted to flood the UK with millions of illegal cigarettes have been jailed for a total of eight and-a-half years, reports HMRC. Adil Hussain, Grzegorz Szewe and Dariusz Dudczyk were part of organised crime networks that operated in London and the Midlands, and were caught with more than five million cigarettes in November 2016.

The men orchestrated the delivery and sale of counterfeit cigarettes worth more than £1.5 million in unpaid duty. Last month, the trio were given prison sentences at Southwark Crown Court.

Carmine di Franco, assistant director, fraud investigation service at HMRC, said: “Hussain was the head of an organised criminal network intent on flooding our streets with millions of illegal cigarettes.

“These kinds of cigarettes come at a cost as they undermine legitimate traders, take vital revenue away from our public services and can all too easily find their way into the hands of children.”

HMRC continues to pursue remaining gang member Andrzej Watroba.

Anyone with information about the illegal sale of tobacco is encouraged to report it online at GOV.UK or call the Fraud Hotline on (0800) 788887.

In addition to featuring a new design across packs and trade outers, the Richmond portfolio has been adjusted to offer a simplified range, all positioned within the value tier.

This includes the variants formerly known as Real Blue, which now use the descriptors Richmond Original Superkings and Richmond Original Kingsize, as well as Richmond Bright Superkings and Richmond Green Filter Superkings, all of which are available in packs of 20 with an rsp of £9.75.

THEY WORK HARD Time for a proper break

.

7 5 £ 9 RRP

*

Our lowest price

you've

EARNED IT

**

*Based on ITUK RRPs as at October 2021.

RRP: For the avoidance of doubt, retailers are free at all times to determine the selling price of their products. **Based on ITUK estimates as at October 2021.

[ TOBACCO & NGP UPDATE ] JPS Players Easy Rolling Tobacco is a blend of fine cut tobacco designed to offer an easier rolling experience while benefiting from the brand recognition of one of the UK’s best-selling cigarette brands. The range comes in 30g and 50g formats, with rsps of £12.95 and £21.20, and each pouch includes a set of rolling papers.

Another RYO brand that taps into the value trend is Riverstone. It was recently repositioned to sit within the economy RYO segment alongside JPS Players, with the same formats and rsps and including both papers and filters for added convenience.

Cigars Wholesalers are reminded to be ready for the upturn in cigar sales during the festive period. Alastair Williams, country director at Scandinavian Tobacco Group UK (STG UK), says: “It tends to be larger cigars that people gravitate towards as a bit of a Christmas treat when they are in a celebratory mood and typically have more time to enjoy them.

Therefore, it’s really important for retailers & cash and carries to get their range right so they can enjoy those extra sales and rewarding profit margins, which are typically three times those of cigarettes.”

He continues: “Having by far the best performing medium/large cigar in stock in the run-up to Christmas is surely a no-brainer, so ensure our Henri Wintermans Half Corona is on your shelves!”

When it comes to ranging decisions at other times of the year, it is worth noting that nearly 90% of total cigar sales in the UK come from the top 10 brands, Williams adds. “The most important thing to consider is to make sure you are catering to your local customer base and tailoring your range to their needs.

Having said that, the first cigar on any cash & carry’s list should be Signature Blue, which is by far the best-selling traditional cigar in the UK.” He told Cash & Carry Management that miniatures are still the largest segment within cigars, currently worth just under £105 million annually, while the fast-growing cigarillos segment is now valued at just over £81 million and accounts for more than 41% of all cigars sold in volume terms (IRI).

Sterling Dual Capsule Leaf Wrapped, the UK’s No.1 cigarillo brand (IRI) from JTI, includes a mentholated Virginia blend tobacco and capsule filter that when crushed releases a peppermint flavour. “It offers a good value and high-quality product, with an affordable rsp,” points out sales vice president Ross Hennessy.

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December 2021

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Vaping & NGPs The vaping category has grown to be worth around £1.2 billion in the UK, with 38% of vaping volume sales taking place in the convenience channel and 18% in wholesale, according to Imperial Tobacco.

“As demand for vaping products continues to grow, dedicating ample space to vaping products within depots should be an important area of focus for any wholesaler,” advises Duncan Cunningham, UK corporate affairs director at Imperial Tobacco & blu.

He reports that pod systems and cartridges have seen the most yearon-year growth across all channels.

Within wholesale specifically, closed devices, such as myblu, account for 3.1% of volume versus 1.4% for open devices.

“One of the main factors driving the popularity of pod-mod systems like myblu is their ease of use, with the device’s hassle-free Liquidpods allowing vapers to switch between flavours in seconds via a simple one-step ‘click and go’ system,” he points out. “With this in mind, we’d strongly recommend including a leading podmod system such as myblu within the range.”

Philip Morris Ltd (PML) has launched HEETS Mauve Wave, a new variant in its range of HEETS tobacco sticks designed exclusively for the IQOS heated tobacco system, which has now been available in the UK for five years.

Unlike a vape product which uses liquid, IQOS is an electronic device that heats real tobacco “for a more satisfying taste experience”, claims PML. HEETS Mauve Wave features a menthol tobacco blend with a taste of dark forest fruits.

Kate O’Dowd, head of commercial planning at PML, says: “Broadening our HEETS tobacco sticks range to 10 variants with HEETS Mauve offers retailers even more choice for their adult customers who have switched to IQOS, the UK’s number one smoke-free product (Nielsen).

“As part of Philip Morris’ commitment to delivering a smoke-free future, we will continue to supply products that meet the preferences of adult smokers looking for real tobacco satisfaction and a better choice than continued CCM smoking.”

For further information: blu UK (0800) 0149 355 Imperial Tobacco (0117) 963 6636 JTI (01932) 372000 Philip Morris Ltd 020-7076 6000 Scandinavian Tobacco Group UK 020-8731 3400

R O L L I N G TO B ACCO

NOW AVAILABLE IN 50G, WITH GREAT VALUE RRP

£

21.20 RRP* 50G

Why stock it?

• Sterling Rolling is the UK’s fastest growing RYO brandi.

• Within the RYO category, Value RYO is the leading sector with a 52.3% shareii.

• The Value RYO category is growing 14.3% year on yeariii, generating sales of £3.9 billion a yeariv.

Mark McGuinness, Head of Marketing at JTI UK, says: “The new Sterling Rolling Tobacco Essential 50g format offers the same fantastic RYO quality as 30g, at a competitive RRP. We recommend wholesalers stock both formats to offer choice to customers and make the most of the profit opportunity available.”

Stock up on Sterling Rolling Tobacco Essential 30g and 50g now!

Wholesalers should visit www.jtiadvance.co.uk or speak to their local JTI Sales Representative for more information. *RRP effective 27/10/2021. You are, of course, at all times free to sell JTI’s products at whatever price you choose. i. IRi Market Place, Volume Share, Total RYO/MYO, Total UK, over the last 12 months to Sep 2021 (based on slope calculation) ii. IRi Market Place, Volume Share, Total RYO/MYO, Total UK, Sep 2021. iii. IRi Market Place, Value Sales, Total RYO/MYO, Total UK, MAT To 10/10/21 vs. MAT To 11/10/20 (Increase in Sales Value) iv. IRi Market Place, Value Sales, Total RYO/MYO, Total UK, MAT To 10/10/21.