Holdsworth are very proud to have been a contributing sponsor of the Derbyshire Food & Drink Awards which took place on 2nd November at Thornbridge Hall and was hosted by celebrity chef, Simon Rimmer.

The event helps to promote the diverse food establishments and hospitality that Derbyshire has to offer. They are judged on a number of criteria including the quality of food and drink, use of county produce and acknowledgement of it on menus as well as customer service.

Congratulations to all the shortlisted & highly commended venues and an extra cheer to the winners!

Michael Holdsworth (on left) presenting Chris & Jean Norfolk of the Elm Tree at Elmton with their award for best Traditional Pub, with council chairman George Wharmby and television chef Simon Rimmer (both on right).

Food service distributor Holdsworth has secured a deal to supply the retail estate of 84 pubs and bars in the McMullen brewery group.

The three-year contract is worth approximately £3.5 million a year to the company, which delivers a wide range of frozen, chilled and ambient goods to caterers. The independent Hertfordshire-based brewer and pub operator operates, in the south of England, from central London to Chelmsford in the east, to Fleet in the west and to Milton Keynes in the north. “We are very pleased to have won the contract to supply to McMullen,” said Holdsworth Chairman Michael Holdsworth. “Over the past 42 years we have grown to become a respected food service distributor in the UK as a result of our commitment to offering customers a competitive package with the best quality, value for money products and excellent service.

“We are delighted to forge a partnership with McMullen, which is a company that shares our values.”

Paul Robbins, Food Development Manager at McMullen, said: “Holdsworth supports our vision whole heartedly. The team is committed and experienced, and we are very pleased to be working with them over the next three years.”

Holdsworth, founded in 1969 by current Chairman Michael Holdsworth, employs 269 members of staff across seven depots in Derbyshire, Yorkshire, Staffordshire, Northamptonshire, Worcestershire and Powys. The privately-owned company, which is based in Tideswell, Derbyshire, stocks around 5,000 lines, and runs a fleet of 62 multi-temperature lorries and 12 vans which are routed electronically to ensure maximum cost efficiency by reducing unnecessary mileage and fuel consumption.

Three members of the Holdsworth family work for the business, which has grown both organically and through acquisition to reach an annual turnover of approximately £49 million for the last financial year - a 7.4% increase on the previous year.

Holdsworth’s total market share of the £5.5 billion* UK delivered wholesale market is 0.9%. (*Figure provided by Horizons FS Limited) “We endeavour to develop long-term working partnerships with both suppliers and customers and are proud to have earned our reputation within the industry,” said Michael Holdsworth. “When we redesigned our corporate logo we added the line ‘Your Partner in Restauration’ which encompasses our willingness to work in partnership with both customers and suppliers, and recognises the importance of each other’s role in the supply chain.”

In recent years, Holdsworth has completed an investment of more than £1 million on a new freezer and dry goods store at its Evesham depot and taken delivery of 26 new multi-temperature lorries, with another 14 lorries and two new vans ordered for 2011. A further £1 million was invested in a new 15,000 sq ft unit in Derbyshire to cater for the company’s growing range of chilled and ambient goods.

Last year the firm acquired four new businesses in Derbyshire, Yorkshire and Staffordshire, including specialist catering butchers, which has greatly increased the range and diversity of products that Holdsworth offers. The company hopes that these new additions will increase supply to existing customers and also to new markets.

We have just been informed that we have been shortlisted for The Grocer Gold Awards 2011

Wholesaler of the Year- winners will be announced in June, until then we’ll keep our fingers & toes crossed!

We are proud to have been voted as the most efficient, helpful & reliable School Meal Supplier of the Year for 2010 to Bridgend County Borough Council.

Thanks to all the staff at our Crickhowell depot for their hard work in achieving this accolade.

We are delighted to welcome 5 new account managers to our sales team throughout February & March.

Working from our depot at Northampton they will be looking after our customers in the surrounding counties.

Come & visit us at stand number 615 on 1st & 2nd March at the Northern Restaurant & Bar Show at Manchester Central to sample some of the new and delicious products from our range.

Further details of the show can be found at www.northernrestaurantandbar.co.uk

We are delighted to announce that we have recently expanded the business with the purchase of three more companies.

One of which is a foodservice supplier based in Staffordshire and the other two are catering butchers which will increase our existing fresh meat selection and adds to the comprehensive range of frozen, ambient and chilled foods on offer to our customers.

In order to accommodate a new meat preparation facility at our head office in Tideswell we have relocated the retail shop to our historical original offices. The shop is open to the public and sells retail size quantities of our products.

As the official opening of junction 29A of the M1 marks its first anniversary, Henry Boot Developments Ltd, the company behind the adjacent Markham Vale commercial park, is welcoming another occupier, with several more companies involved in the legal process, and further announcements expected shortly.  

Derbyshire company, Holdsworth has purchased a 15,000 sq. ft unit at Markham Vale’s speculative development, “Waterloo Court”.  The privately owned firm which also has depots in Tideswell, Evesham, Northampton and South Wales, requires easy access to the M1 for its food service operations which delivers supplies to caterers across the Midlands, Yorkshire, the South East, South West and South Wales.

Chairman of the £46 million turnover company, Michael Holdsworth comments: “Our expansion plans and the location of the park just off the new junction of the M1 were the main reasons for our move.  We can now cut our delivery times considerably as we will no longer have to battle town traffic. The larger premises and location also means that our suppliers can deliver less frequently therefore reducing emissions and congestion. Another major concern was the disruption for our staff but Markham Vale is not too far from our current site, and is on a convenient bus route so our staff can still get to work efficiently. ”

Mr Holdsworth was also impressed by the scheme’s eco credentials which have seen it receive a BREEAM rating of “very good”, with units comprising photovoltaic panels .  He comments: “Reducing our carbon footprint is an important factor, and we will definitely benefit from lower energy running costs which makes financial sense.”

Ben Ward, development surveyor at Henry Boot Developments adds:  “The opening of the new junction has definitely contributed to the surge in popularity of the scheme. Over the past 12 months, enquiries from local companies have escalated considerably, with many drawn to Markham’s great location and the quality build we are offering at Waterloo Court.  For many businesses keeping the same staff is key to their ongoing success, and for Chesterfield firms, the site is close enough to ensure that this happens.”
A further boost for the Markham Vale scheme has been the success of its flagship business support facility, the Environment Centre which is now 90% occupied by a range of firms from the environmental technology sector.  The 18,000 sq. ft building, at the heart of the development is fully sustainable and environmentally friendly with a roof mounted wind turbine to generate electricity, solar panels and a ‘grey’ water recycling facility. Short rotation willow is also being grown on the site to provide wood fuel for the centre’s wood fired heating boiler.
The centre’s amenities include exhibition space, conference and training facilities.
Ben Ward adds: “The environment centre has also benefited from the junction opening, and is now a thriving operation used by many local businesses.  It is regarded as a paragon of sustainable commercial development, and has defintely assisted in promoting the superb eco credentials of Markham Vale as a whole.”
King Sturge are the appointed agents for Markham Vale.

2009 was a busy year for Holdsworth, not only did they move into a larger,15,000 sq. ft unit in Chesterfield to cater for the growing range of chilled & ambient goods they supply, they also acquired a new business in West Yorkshire. The catering butcher’s and delicatessen company will greatly increase the range of products that Holdsworth currently offer.

A small team of skilled butchers will now prepare the meat for Holdsworth’s customers which is nearly all sourced from family run farms in both Yorkshire and neighbouring counties. Some of the specialist delicatessen ingredients will however be sourced from further afield. Although where possible Holdsworth source UK products, it is sometimes necessary to import goods if a suitable equivalent is not available in the UK.

The business was sought in response to customer feedback and a growing demand for a greater range of fresh, chilled and specialist ingredients. Holdsworth hope that this new addition will increase their supply to their existing customers and also to new markets.

For more information please contact the Head Office at Tideswell