The Wholesale Group recently hosted 350 suppliers and members at its annual Trade Show and awards at Cheltenham Racecourse, with 130 wholesale members in attendance.
The buying group’s growing portfolio of own-brand ranges, available exclusively to its members, were also on show, with the CHEF Approved and CHEF Prestige ranges developed specifically for caterers and foodservice operators.
Jess Douglas, managing director at The Wholesale Group, said: “Very few events in the industry can showcase quality and innovation on this scale, across both retail and foodservice, but our Trade Show continues to evolve into a flagship event for the sector that really gets people talking.
Read more: The Wholesale Group hints at retail own label range and alcohol growth plans
“As a buying group, we bring together forward-thinking suppliers and connect them with businesses who can help get their products into the market. The Trade Show is a powerful platform for collaboration, and a key part of our overall strategy. It’s important to share learnings, connect like-minded businesses and recognise talent in this way, to enable collective growth.”
Chairman Mark Aylwin later introduced the buying group’s annual awards and reflected on the resilience of the sector, noting that wholesale has faced more disruption in the past five years than in the previous 20. He also pointed to a changing future for wholesale, shaped by data, technology and partnership, and said he was proud to see the energy and momentum across the event.
This year’s award winners were as follows:
Suppliers
Service Supplier of the Year (sponsored by The Wholesale Group): Orderlion
Digital Supplier of the Year (sponsored by Insight): Coca-Cola Europacific Partners
Chilled & Frozen Supplier of the Year (sponsored by Dash AI): Lutosa
Non-Food Supplier of the Year (sponsored by Accelerate): Wrapex
Own Brand Supplier of the Year (sponsored by CHEF Approved): Lantmannen
Retail Supplier of the Year (sponsored by CORE Juices): AG Barr Group
Foodservice Supplier of the Year (sponsored by The Wholesale Group): Kerry Foods
Members
Social Media Member of the Year (sponsored by PepsiCo Walkers): Thomsons
Head Office Engagement Member of the Year (sponsored by AG Barr): Dennis Edwards
Frozen Member of the Year (sponsored by Lantmannen): Holland Bazaar
Own Brand Member of the Year (sponsored by FoodFellas): Ewood Foods
Foodservice Member of the Year (sponsored by RH Amar): Charles Saunders
Retail Member of the Year (sponsored by Carlsberg Britvic): Universal
New Member of the Year (sponsored by Kellanova): AC Georgiades
Green Wholesaler Award (sponsored by CCEP): All Shires Foods
Charity and Community (sponsored by Nestlé): Millennium
Outstanding Achievement – NEW for 2025 (sponsored by Flora): Waterside Food Services
