Telford firm expects records to be broken at flagship food exhibition

 Harlech Foodservice, who have a base in Telford, expect thousands of buyers at their annual two-day trade fair, Expo 25, at Venue Cymru in Llandudno on Wednesday and Thursday, March 12 and 13.

Among those with a presence for the first time will be two of the global giants of the food and drink businesses, Coca-Cola and Mars, who have each taken stands at the event.

Also there will be two of Harlech’s newest partners, both with an Italian flavour, Sidoli’s ice-cream, set up in Ebbw Vale over 100 years ago by Benedetto Sidoli and still in the same family, and Ferrari Coffee from Bridgend.

They will join a host of other household names at the event which will see Harlech, which also has bases in Cricieth, Chester, Carmarthen and Merthyr Tydfil, unveil its latest Trust Our Prices range with over 300 deals for its customers pegging prices for the next three months.

Alongside Coca-Cola and Mars at the trade fair will be a host of food and drink supply giants including Pepsi, Kellogg’s, McCains, Young’s Seafood, Premier Foods, Cadbury’s, Twinings tea, Walkers crisps and Unilever.

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, will also all be there.

Pulling it all together for fast-growing Harlech is Head of Purchasing Josie Swift for whom it is her second time taking charge of the company’s biggest annual event.

She said: “We are expecting a record 120 plus suppliers this year and are forecasting another record in sales of over £1 million as we unveil our Spring Trust Our Prices promise.

“It locks in 300 of our most popular prices for three months and added to it is our Season Start Up brochure packed full of over 1000 deals.

“Customers can also sign up to place their orders for what they need there and then with the confidence that the prices will stay the same. – they can’t order at the show, we’ve gone one better and Trust Our Prices promise locks the top selling lines in for the whole of Spring season, with the Season Start Up brochure giving customers over 1,000 deals that they can purchase during the four weeks leading up to Easter.

“That will apply to first-time customers too. They will be able to sign up at the entrance, enjoy Expo and then place their first order. – they can sign up and enjoy Trust Our Prices and the Season Start Up deals.

“It gives them the certainty they need as they plan their menus for the coming months and compare our prices with those of our competitors and see that we offer the best price offers for everyday items they need.

“Trust Our Prices has been very successful since we launched it in 2023 and it covers 300 staple products, from blue rolls to burgers, that our customers buy every week and it guarantees that those prices will be locked in for three months.

“The last year has been amazing, we’ve just grown and grown as a company so it’s really exciting and I love the Expo. It’s the one time of the year we’re all together and customers can see what we do and see what our suppliers can offer.

“We are expecting many of our major customers at the event, the schools and NHS caterers we supply year round and of course the shops, pubs and cafés that have been at the heart of the business from the start.”

The Expo is a key event for Harlech which last year announced a three-year £6 million expansion plan which has already seen it open new depots in Carmarthen and Telford in the last 12 months to add to those at Cricieth, Chester and Merthyr Tydfil.

They have also created 75 new jobs of a planned 150 increase in staffing taking the workforce to 250 and now runs a fleet of 65 vehicles delivering up to 5,000 product lines to cafés, restaurants, pubs and public sector customers.

For more on Harlech Foodservice go to https://www.harlech.co.uk/