Member Article

Managing director of successful Kent wholesaler appointed to Fairway Foodservice board

Fairway Foodservice has appointed managing director of Kent-based Q Catering Roger Snelling to its board of directors.

Roger, who has more than 35 years’ experience in foodservice, was voted onto the board of directors at the 17-strong buying group’s recent members meeting.

Q Catering has been a member of Fairway Foodservice for 17 months, during which it has grown significantly thanks to the buying group’s expertise in specifically frozen food, as well as ambient and non-food.

Roger, 58, began his foodservice career in 1979 as a driver for Dover Ship Stores supplying the cross channel ferry service. The business was acquired by what became Cavendish Ship Stores, where Roger rose through the ranks to the role of group managing director.

He left in 2003 to set up Q Catering, which now has an annual turnover of £7m, 35 employees and 600 service points across Kent and East Sussex.

Last year Q Catering completed a 6,000 sq ft extension to its purpose-built depot in Sittingbourne to enable growth in the business’ frozen food offering.

Roger said: “We’ve been a member of Fairway Foodservice for 17 months now, and enjoyed great success as a result. I’m extremely pleased and honoured to be taking up this directorship role with the group.

“We joined because of Fairway’s expertise in frozen produce and the pro-active, transparent way it conducts its business.

“The expertise and service it provides has had a significant impact on the development of Q Catering.

“I’m hoping to bring my experience at both ends of the foodservice sector, from my time in a senior position at Cavendish to starting out my own company.

“One of the key things I’d like to look at is developing the way our members approach promotions, while ensuring the work we do is always in the interests of the majority of the membership.”

Roger joins Fairway Foodservice’s Chris Binge and Steve Jeavons, Martin King of King Bros Foodservice, Darren Gaulton of Charles Saunders, and Simon Howarth of Total Foodservice Solutions on the board of directors.

Chief executive of Fairway Foodservice Chris Binge said: “Roger brings a wealth of experience to the board from a number of aspects of the foodservice industry.

“Q Catering is a fantastic foodservice business, and its growth since joining provides a great example of how Fairway Foodservice supports its membership.

“I’m looking forward to working with Roger to help both the group and individual members prosper.”

Fairway Foodservice is a buying and marketing organisation operating on behalf of wholesalers based in the UK, Ireland and Spain. Founded in 1984 by five frozen food wholesale distribution companies, it has grown from a collective turnover of £7m in 1984 to £556m in 2014.

Members benefit from access to a range of more than 600 own-label products, collective buying power on a number of lines, significant marketing support and subscription discounts to the Erudus One product specification database.

For more information on Fairway Foodservice, visit www.fairwayfoodservice.com, or follow Fairway Foodservice on Twitter @fairwayfood.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sam Harris .