Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 13th March 2025 Issue no. 1153
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Caterbar hosts fifth all-day 'speed dating' event and honours excellence with Supplier Excellence Awards
Caterbar, the national consortium of independent catering equipment distributors, has successfully celebrated its fifth all-day 'speed dating' event and Supplier Excellence awards.
Held earlier this month, at the Cottons Hotel & Spa in Knutsford, the event welcomed 45 influential delegates, including representatives from sales, purchasing and company directors from All Purpose, Bateman Bros, Clean Wipes, Complete Intacare, CSL, Drinkstuff, Galgorm Group, Highland Industrial Supplies, Marshall Wilson, MBS, Stephensons and Wilkes Catering.
The day commenced with engaging ‘speed dating’ sessions, offering the opportunity for members to discuss new product launches and strategic plans, as well as to reconnect face-to-face.
Following these interactive one-on-ones, the Supplier Excellence Awards ceremony took place, celebrating the outstanding contributions and achievements of suppliers within the consortium.
The awards kicked off with Metsa Tissue, Northwood Hygiene and Ramon all being recognised for their exceptional growth, effort and flexibility with the Stellar Growth awards.
Due to the last Awards taking place in 2022, this Award reviewed the nominees’ growth between April 2022 to March 2024, allowing for market swings and membership changes and therefore providing a comprehensive view of the suppliers' contributions since the last awards ceremony.
Lucart, a new supplier since 2022, was honoured with the Supplier Newcomer 2024 Award for its impressive performance and seamless integration into the Caterbar network.
The Member’s Recognition Award was presented to Cofresco Foodservice, chosen by the Caterbar Chairman. This award acknowledges Cofresco's positive response to the huge fluctuations in costs over the past 24 months, as well as its fair and adaptive approach to pricing, member margins and corresponding scheme adjustments.
Essity UK's team, led by Stephen Waite, received the Sales Support Team award. Stephen Waite, who is set to retire later this year, was celebrated for his instrumental role in providing excellent regional support for Caterbar and his dedicated leadership.
The Caterbar Supplier - Distributor Partner of the Year award was won by All Purpose for achieving a 500% increase in turnover and rebates over the seven years since the company joined the Caterbar network.
Finally, chemical manufacturer Greyland, was named the 2024 Supplier of the Year after celebrating 25 years with Caterbar. Greyland has been a proactive and dedicated partner, attending and presenting at nearly every board meeting post-Covid lockdowns.
Richard Agnew, executive officer at Caterbar, expresses his gratitude to everyone who participated in this year’s event. He says: “After a year off, it was great to reunite with all of our members and celebrate the hard work and achievements that best exemplify the collaborative spirit we strive for at Caterbar.
“The speed dating element once again highlighted the value and importance of this type of networking for fostering collaboration and innovation within the industry, as attendees were able to share their insights and experiences in person.
“We hope everyone left with fresh ideas and excitement for future partnerships and we can’t wait for our next event in 2026.”
Images:
Greyland - Supplier of the Year Award
Metsa Tissue - Stellar Growth Award
13th June 2024