Kitwave has moved its foodservice operations to the Country Range Group.
The move comes as a surprise in wholesale circles as it had previously stated that the division was set to join rival buying group Fairway Foodservice.
Kitwave said in May that it was moving its foodservice operation, which is made up of four wholesalers – Millers Foodservice, MJ Baker Foodservice, Total Foodservice and WestCountry Fruit Sales – away from the UK’s biggest buying group, Unitas.
Kitwave CEO Ben Maxted told The Grocer it would move to Fairway Foodservice due to the buying group being a “long-standing partner” and “the best fit” for its foodservice operations. However, it was confirmed this week that it had now joined Country Range.
The foodservice division makes up around 20% of Kitwave’s total operations. In its most recent full-year accounts, the wholesaler reported a 20% increase in sales to £602.2m for the year to 31 October 2023. The combined turnover of the four foodservice wholesalers that have moved to Country Range is £126m. The businesses operate from eight depots across the UK, with a fleet of 200 delivery vehicles and a 96-strong sales force.
Kitwave’s much larger grocery division is to remain within Unitas.
“We are delighted to be joining CRG at a time that we are strategically growing our own foodservice offering,” said Maxted.
“The product portfolio, marketing support and shared knowledge will ensure we continue to improve our own offering and service in a sustainable way as we work closely to support our own valued customer base.”
Country Range CEO Martin Ward said: “I wish a warm welcome to the whole Kitwave team. The business has been built on hard work, great people and by providing the best customer service, so we’re confident they will be a great fit for our group.”
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