A Welsh food wholesaler has launched a new campaign to slash prices and undercut its competitors by up to 38%.
Harlech Foodservice, which has bases in Criccieth, Chester, Carmarthen and Merthyr Tydfil, announced the “aggressive” drive at its two-day Food Expo for trade customers at Venue Cymru in Llandudno where record sales topped £1 million.
One hundred lines have been added to Harlech’s price comparison package as part of its Trust Our Prices initiative, with nearly 400 top selling lines benchmarked against competitors’ prices.
Harlech managing director David Cattrall said: “We are disrupting the established way foodservice companies operate.
“We believe our approach is refreshingly different to most companies and helps chefs plan menus with confidence.
“We will be offering a core range of foodservice products at honest list prices, rather than the common practice of fake, artificially inflated list prices that require ‘negotiation’.
“We’ve done the price comparisons so our customers don’t have to and we’re nearly 40 per cent cheaper than the biggest foodservice company in the UK and 15 per cent cheaper than our biggest rival in Wales.
“Our Trust Our Prices pledge covers 390 popular items with the prices being locked down for more than three months – and we are promising no sneaky price rises without warning.
“That’s because we know our customers, the hotels, restaurants, pubs and cafés, are facing huge challenges and we aim to help them by guaranteeing the prices of goods to give them certainty in uncertain times.
“We understand how unpredictable trade can be for our customers so they can order up to 10pm, once their service has finished, and we deliver to premises the following day, six days a week.
“These are highly competitive prices on genuine key lines for our customers.
“For example, that means giant 2.6kg tins of Country Range Baked Beans for £4.49, 20 litres of Vegetable Oil for £27.99, two-kilo bags of sugar for £3.29, two kilos of prawns for £18.79, four litres of vanilla ice-cream £4.99 and Alabama fudge cake at less than a pound a portion with those prices guaranteed at least until September.
“The Trust Our Prices campaign is already proving hugely popular with our customers and we have had some brilliant feedback at the Food Expo and it’s clear they really appreciate what we are doing to help them.”
The announcement has gone down well with customers at the Expo, free to people in the trade but not open to the public, where there was a record number of stands across two rooms at Venue Cymru for the popular annual event.
Exhibitors included food giants like Kellogg’s, McCains, Young’s Seafood, Doritos, Cadbury’s, Wafflemeister and Hellman’s as well as nationally known Welsh brands such as Jones Village Bakery, Edwards the Welsh Butcher, Llaeth y Llan Village Dairy and Radnor Springs, from Knighton, in Mid Wales.
Certainty in pricing is an important factor for the Infunity Soft Play Centre in Mold.
Floor Manager Laura Marshall said: “It’s very important for us when we’re dealing with up to 200 children a day to know that the prices are guaranteed to stay the same.
“Harlech are very, very helpful and it’s great to know that we can always speak to someone there.
“We do like to change our menus regularly and Harlech are always very good at adapting to our requirements and doing it at the right price.”
Vicky Owen, Manager of Caernarfon’s historic 16th century Black Boy Inn, said: “It’s a great event and it’s good to see what’s going on and what the new trends are and what competitors are looking at.”
John Evans, owner of the Black Boy, said: “It’s good to see new trends and to be able to spot what will work for us in the future and we have had a great relationship with Harlech.”
Nia Roberts, of Llaeth y Llan Village Dairy, said: “The Expo is great for networking and for meeting new customers.
“We supply lots of schools through Harlech and more schools are providing free meals for pupils now so we are seeing a surge in demand.”
Ed Moore, Director of Henllan Bakery, in Denbigh, said: “It’s a great event for us as it’s all about speaking to our customers and also to potential new customers.
“We are a growing business and so are Harlech so that’s a really important relationship for us.”
Maddie Williams, National Account Executive for Aber Falls Distillery, from Abergwyngregyn, said: “This is one of the most important events of the year for us and because Harlech are a very popular and successful business it’s important for us to be here and to support our customers.”
