Member Article

Ian Woodcock joins Fairway Foodservice’s board of directors

Leading buying group Fairway Foodservice has welcomed a new member to its board of directors.

Ian Woodcock, purchasing director at Harlech Foodservice, was voted on to the board and replaces Martin King, director at King Brothers, who had been in the role for 12 years.

Ian has been with Harlech, which is a member of Fairway, for 10 years. He has been in the food industry for more than 30 years, with previous roles in retail and cash and carry wholesale.

He said: “I considered joining the board three years ago, but felt I would not do the role justice as Harlech was not where I wanted it to be in terms of product categories. I believe Harlech is now in a greater position and I am looking forward to my additional responsibilities.

“Martin did a fantastic job as a member director and I know he will be there if I have any questions.

“I’m hoping to bring some fresh ideas and a different perspective to the group. I’m passionate about the foodservice industry, and I have already spoken to a couple of the board members about new approaches and goals.

“For example, Harlech imports some products from France for use by Michelin star chefs. Some of our members may not have thought of targeting such customers, or if they have, maybe unsure of the logistics of importing.

“We want to ensure Fairway and its members are continuously setting trends and having solutions in place immediately if a caterer requests to try something different or gets experimental.”

Ian joins Chris Binge and Steve Jeavons of Fairway, Darren Gaulton of Charles Saunders, Simon Howarth of Total Foodservice, and Roger Snelling of Q Catering on the board of directors.

Chris Binge, chief executive of Fairway Foodservice, which has 20 members, said: “I would like to thank and acknowledge Martin’s contribution as a member director. He has been a solid supporter of Fairway, has brought forward many initiatives, and always represented the interests of the members.

“It’s important for any organisation to have new blood to provide fresh thoughts and suggestions, and I’m pleased Ian has made the decision to join us on the board.

“I hope he enjoys his time, challenges the status quo, and brings the vigour of new vision.”

Fairway Foodservice is a buying and marketing organisation, which operates 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 £653.5m in 2017.

Alongside access to Fairway Foodservice’s extensive range of products, members benefit from 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, follow the group on Twitter @fairwayfood or visit www.fairwayfoodservice.com.

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