Paul Hill speaks to Gary Mullineux, the managing director of Caterforce
PH: What has been your most significant achievement over the past 12 months?
GM: Over the past 12 months, Caterforce and its members have achieved outstanding milestones, underlining the group’s unwavering commitment to growth, innovation and collaboration.
The group’s combined turnover has surged to £870m – a 10% year-on-year increase and a remarkable 62% rise since 2019, far exceeding the market’s 25% growth. This momentum was celebrated at Caterforce’s largest-ever biennial conference, held at Wembley Stadium in November 2024, where more than 350 members, suppliers and partners convened to explore future strategies around digital innovation, AI integration and sustainability.
What is your unique selling point?
With nine members and a combined turnover of £870m, Caterforce offers suppliers one of the most efficient, cost-effective routes to access 46,000 foodservice customers across the UK and Ireland. Our bespoke Price Hub platform delivers pricing transparency for members while significantly streamlining administration for suppliers, enhancing accuracy and operational efficiency.
What truly sets Caterforce apart is the quality of our data. Our dedicated head-office data team maintains best-in-class standards, ensuring clean, reliable information. And the insights generated through our Sales Hub provide suppliers with actionable data on product performance across the group.
Collaboration is central to our culture. With no competition clauses, members freely share knowledge and best practices in a uniquely supportive environment. Each member is a proud regional champion, and every one of them holds a seat at the board table – actively shaping the group’s strategic direction.
What are your plans to help members over the next 12 months?
Over the next 12 months, Caterforce will continue to support its members with a strong focus on value, innovation and growth. With no membership fee and a commitment to delivering commercial returns, members benefit from all the advantages of group buying, including competitive pricing through economies of scale.
Last year, members benefited from a 13% increase in income distribution, reflecting the group’s strong performance. Our central team will continue to manage multiple commodity tenders to secure the best prices and highest-quality products.
Members also benefit from six Supplier Presentation Days, offering opportunities to discover new products and build supplier relationships.
Our five exclusive, award-winning own-brand ranges already offer a competitive edge, and this year we’re expanding them with 50 product launches, further strengthening member offerings. In addition, Caterforce provides full-service marketing support, including PR, award entries, photography, email platforms, seasonal food and drink trend guides, and multichannel recipe content to inspire customers.
Additionally, this year, our focus is on supporting members’ sales teams – encouraging collaboration at all levels, facilitating a culture of learning from each other and sharing best practice.
What are the biggest challenges for your members over the next 12 months?
Over the next 12 months, our members will face the same challenges affecting the entire foodservice sec
tor, such as rising operational costs and the ongoing impact of the cost-of-living crisis on consumer spending. In response, Caterforce will focus on supporting its members with the right product mix at the right prices.
Through strategic commodity tendering, competitive group buying and the expansion of our award-winning own-brand ranges, we aim to help members protect profitability without compromising on quality.
Our pricing strategies, underpinned by robust data and insight, will ensure members stay agile.
