Delice

DELICE DE FRANCE

WHY A SLICE OF DELICE KEEPS ON GIVING

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DELICE DE FRANCE

40 Inside food & drink

I PROFILE

Delice de France has continued to thrive as the UK’s largest independent distributor of bakery goods. With a booming order book, the company is planning a significant investment in its facilities: increasing its vehicle fleet and nudging its way to becoming a producer of fantastic-tasting food. Andy Probert sat down with CEO Thierry Cacaly to discover more about the company, which is on the cusp of 40 years of trading and a £100 million turnover.

luxuries supplied by Delice de France

T

the adoption of a new ERP system that

shows no signs of abating as the UK’s

has quickly become the company’s back-

largest independent bakery distributor con-

bone. “We also launched a new e-shop,

tinues to grow.

which helped us attract more orders and

he UK public’s appetite for affordable

“We have been in the right spot at the right time,” CEO Thierry Cacaly reflected. “Our business plans continue to revolve around

One milestone of recent times has been

made it easier to connect with clients,” Mr Cacaly added.

This shift to ordering online compared

thinking creatively, from increasing the

to traditional telesales amounted to a £60

product range to stocking our trucks better.

difference per spend. “This opened our

All these activities have converged to result

eyes,” Mr Cacaly said. “We intend to make it

in a very positive business performance.”

more engaging for clients, who are mostly

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DELICE DE FRANCE

I PROFILE

corporate and from the tech-savvy, younger generation. The digital revolution is on: more people are ordering online, and we intend to take full advantage.”

£100 million milestone Delice de France has also switched focus to four specific channels – retail convenience, hospitality, contract catering and wholesale/innovations - where its teams have a deeper understanding of each and can provide greater added-value services to the clients.

“While we are primarily a B2B business in the foodservice-convenience sector, we have never been into the larger retail sector,” Mr Cacaly said. “However, we are testing a range of self-branded Delice de France bake-at-home morning goods with Tesco Ireland, and it is evolving well.

It is all about projecting the brand for the long term.

“That said, Delice de France celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2024. While 2023 will see us top £80 million in turnover, we are intent on climbing that £100 million milestone in the next 5 years.

“Covid has exacerbated the entrepreneurial spirit and we have quickly grasped that opportunity. We did the right things at the right time, and quickly re-positioned the business and continued building momentum.

“We are now contemplating going into production of bakery products as evidenced by our project in Ireland. It will be a change, but will help cement our position as a market leader in the UK industry.”

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Comes with added bite

lines which it supplied to more than

Launched in a small coffee shop in West

9,000 clients in the UK. These included

London by forward-looking French chef

food service and retail convenience

Phillippe Signolet, Delice de France

channels, such as coffee shops, restau-

became a national distributor of frozen

rants, hotels, food courts, contract

bakery products.

caterers and leisure.

By 1999, it was owned by global bakery

Delice de France employs 300 people

player ARYZTA and swallowed up in the

and has distribution hubs in London and

organisation’s corporate structure.

the West Midlands for frozen food prod-

However, in 2019 Delice De France

ucts. It also has five satellite units across

became independent again following

the UK, enabling 10 million palletised units

a management buyout led by Mr Cacaly.

to be distributed annually.

By 2021, the bakery specialist, in

The move to independence has enabled

adopting ARYZTA’s UK assets and

the company to embrace true innovation

customer base, had nearly 1,000 product

and quality across all product types, which

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DELICE DE FRANCE

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the UK market demands. All its products are

frozen gelato. It also works with high-end

bought from huge bakeries, and it is

partner Coup de Pates, providing an

renowned for genuine products.

extensive range of semi-prepared,

The company’s chef and marketing

mouth-watering reception delights.

teams launched Baked by Delice, a brand

On the vegan front, alongside its vegan

enabling Delice to deliver freshly baked

cakes and sweet treats, its award-winning

delicious products daily, wrapped or

vegan sausage roll remains top of the menu

unwrapped and distributed within the

within both convenience retail and foodser-

M25 or as a frozen thaw and serve option

vice sectors. Delice de France has also

for national distribution.

launched a new chilled range of sandwich

Other branded developments included

fillers, including cheese, ham and bacon.

Delice to Go, the company’s modular retail proposition covering all-day parts with

Moving forward

classic viennoiserie, hot food-to-go, sweet

“Another milestone has been shifting our

and savoury snacks, and a range of deli

vehicles from providing completely frozen

sandwiches – prepacked and freshly

products to a frozen and chilled products’

made onsite.

operation,” Mr Cacaly added. “This has

It also provides beverage partners Seattle’s Best Coffee for a rich and smooth comprehensive coffee and hot

been quite a revolution for us and helped to bring lovely creations to the trade.

“We have developed new technology

beverage solution in convenience retail

with a route metrics system to offer

and petrol forecourts.

the most efficient way to deliver to

With Projuice, the company offers customers healthy shakes, smoothies and

48 Inside food & drink

our customers and improve our carbon footprint.”

The company has been highly active

strength, and we pro-

in trade conferences in London and

vide more business to

Birmingham, plus in focused shows on retail

hotels across the UK. We also

convenience and at universities. “It is essen-

support innovative artisan

tial to put the brand out there and continue

coffee shops.”

the momentum by showing our innovation

The primary challenge is keeping pace with

potential,” Mr Cacaly said. “We produced our

business growth through product innovation

first catalogue for summer, offering 50 new

and infrastructure investment. Delice will

products, such as bread ranges, pastries

spend £4 million to make its London ware-

and desserts.

house more efficient and sustainable, while

“We are also launching a winter TOP UP with 40 new products. We essentially act as the gateway for our suppliers to thousands of clients nationwide.”

£250,000 will be invested in upgrading its West Midlands facility.

According to Mr Cacaly, the company’s transport fleet could be expanded by

A well-known Korean concept called

another 30 vehicles when it achieves its

Paris Baguette, a French-style bakery,

£100 million target. It is also tackling its

has opened in London and has developed

Scope one and two carbon emissions

a high-end patisserie line in partnership

and engaging with its supply chain on

with Delice.

Scope three.

“It is pushing the quality up all the time, with

“All these activities have been achieved by

the products being the best of the best and

our amazing team,” he concluded. “I would

tasting beautiful,” Mr Cacaly said. “We see

like to say a massive ‘thank you’ for their

catering contractors going from strength to

wholehearted support.”

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