Chief executive officer of the foodservice heavyweight Andrew Selley told the PMA the firm aspires to be within 80 miles of its customers. The south-west and parts of Scotland are key areas of focus for this growth.
Caterfood has sites from Cornwall to Gloucestershire and 40 multi-temperature vehicles. It has also extended telesales hours and has a free delivery offer with no minimum order value for up to six days a week.
Of the recent acquisition, Selley said: "We are delighted to welcome the team and customers of Caterfood to the Bidvest Foodservice family."
Leading foodservice supplier
He added: "The company is already a very successful leading foodservice supplier in the south-west, with a real passion for service, which aligns well with our drive to provide service excellence and make customers' lives easier."
What Selley’s done recently
- Acquired Caterfood
- Announced further expansion plans
- Will open a new site in Slough in June
- Relaunched own-label portfolio
- Renamed business
The firm is operated by a strong local management team and the company has strong knowledge of its region and the 4,500 products it has listed, he added.
For instance, local produce, such as Exmouth mussels, form part of Caterfood's offer.
Selley said: "This sits well within our decentralised model so we can utilise our national strength alongside our local expertise to offer customers the service and products they are looking for."
Caterfood's management team and staff will continue to run the business under the current name, he added.
‘Strengthen local service’
Caterford executive chairman Mark Felton said: "We're excited to become part of the Bidvest Foodservice family, utilising its national credibility and expertise to strengthen our local service in the south-west."
At a conference earlier this month, Selley told the PMA he wanted Bidvest Foodservice to better rival small suppliers and wholesalers that had access to local produce, which will be done through acquisition and expansion.
He said: "We're always on the lookout for small, unique companies and we see there are more opportunities for acquisitions.
"But we're also building new sites and have opened a number during the past couple of years and will open another one in Slough in June and [continue] filling the gaps with acquisitions."