This will see the grocer entering the market in direct competition with wholesalers Brakes and Tesco-owned Booker. The agreement signals Morrisons first move into pub, restaurant and hotels foodservice.
The deal with StarStock will give hospitality operators across the UK direct access to more than 1,500 products from the grocer including Morrisons Market Street counters and its own brand range as well as branded items.
James Badger, online and wholesale director at Morrisons, said: "We’re excited to be working with StarStock and serving pubs, restaurants and hotels across the country through our wholesale business.
Wide selection
He added: “As well as classic pub snacks like crisps and nuts, customers will also be able to order a wide selection of products from Morrisons Market Street. These include fruit and vegetables as well as delicatessen lines such as cheese, cooked meats and pies.”
The exclusive partnership with Morrisons follows the launch of StarStock’s e-commerce platform last month, with the support of a number of drinks brands and manufacturers, including ASAHI UK, Bacardi, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners and Britvic.
Sam Ulph, founder and CEO of the StarStock Group, said that it was “fully committed” to making StarStock the platform of choice for pub, bar and restaurant operators when purchasing their food and drinks range.
Shake this up
“For too long, these businesses have been restricted by how and when they can order food and it’s time to shake this up,” he said.
“We’re thrilled to be working with Morrisons to give on-trade businesses access to high-quality, competitively priced food, as they continue to bounce back from what has been a devastating 18 months for the sector.
“The StarStock platform brings some long overdue modernisation to the hospitality supply chain as, through ground-breaking partnerships like the one we now have in place with Morrisons, it enables operators to order fresh food directly, at a time that suits them, – creating a next-gen marketplace for the on-trade sector.”