Bestway's foodservice ops roll out nationally

Customers asked for a UK-wide foodservice operation

Bestway is rolling out its delivered foodservice operation Bestway Batleys Foodservice into England and Wales following success in Scotland.

It will be introduced in 17 Bestway and Batleys depots from tomorrow.

Bestway inherited its foodservice business in Scotland when it acquired Martex Cash & Carry in November 2010. It has since won a number of new contracts.

The cash & carry giant said it would focus on offering a “simpler, better” service with an emphasis on fresh, meat, soft drinks and snacks. A new website, www.bbfoodservice.co.uk, is also being launched.

“We are really excited to launch this new proposition,” said Martin Race, operations director for Batleys, with responsibility for foodservice development.

“We’ve had continuous feedback from customers asking us to create a viable foodservice solution in the rest of the UK. We pride ourselves on a clear and very transparent offer, which spans the entire relationship from contracts to pricing, and our experience in Scotland told us we were ready to drive a national rollout.”

Stable pricing was crucial in foodservice, Race added, which was why the rollout was being supported by Price Hold Guarantee - a series of promotions where caterers are guaranteed a fixed price for 12 weeks.

Caterers had a “desperate need for price stability to do accurate budget and cashflow forecasting”, he said. “The Price Hold Guarantee allows caterers to buy in top quality branded products at a competitive, stable price.”

The rollout comes nine months after Bestway expanded Drinks Express into England. It inherited the service, which delivers drinks to restaurants, clubs and bars, when it acquired Scottish wholesaler Bellvue Cash & Carry in July 2010.