WHOLESALERS from across Scotland have been rewarded for their innovation, excellence and professionalism at the prestigious Scottish Wholesale Achievers awards. 

Achievers, now in its 18th year and organised by the Scottish Wholesale Association, saw Bidfood Scotland, JW Filshill and United Wholesale (Scotland) each win three top awards on the night. CJ Lang & Son won two while Booker and JB Foods each claimed a category accolade. 

Bidfood Scotland won the Great Place to Work award, sponsored by AG Barr. The Edinburgh and Larbert-based wholesaler also shared the Best Delivered Operation (Foodservice) category -sponsored by Pritchitts - with JB Foods of Loanhead.  

Bidfood Scotland and Glasgow-based JW Filshill were joint winners of the Best Marketing Initiative, sponsored by Premier Foods.

Bidfood’s ‘Grabbing Goodness’ initiative and Filshill’s ‘KeyStore Football Fever’ campaign impressed lead judge Ross Brown, channel controller at Premier Foods, who praised all entrants in the category for their passion and effectiveness in “delivering key strategic messages on behalf of their members, customers and consumers”. 

Both JW Filshill and Dundee-based CJ Lang & Son shared the Best Delivered Operation (Retail) award, sponsored by Lucozade Ribena Suntory whose regional account manager Carolyn Thomson commented: “All entrants were of a very high standard, with all working on future-proofing their businesses with great vision. The top two entrants were so close that LRS senior management had to audit the full process and make the final decision.

 “Customer surveys showed how supportive these wholesalers are – service and customer care are at the heart of both operations. Both also demonstrated excellent development paths for all employees, thereby keeping talent and experience within their business.”

Filshill also won Best Licensed Wholesaler, sponsored by Halewood Wines & Spirits. 

Best Cash & Carry, sponsored by JTI and one of the most closely contested categories, went to United Wholesale (Scotland) for its depot at Queenslie in the east end of Glasgow. 

Archie MacLellan, the supplier’s multiple account executive (independent wholesalers), pointed to the Queenslie depot’s rebirth as a high-tech, innovative and interactive “warehouse of the future” with digital screens highlighting promotional activity and “category advice available throughout the depot to a higher standard than any other depot”.

United Wholesale (Scotland) also raised a glass to Lorraine MacPherson, its symbol development manager who won Employee of the Year, sponsored by Philip Morris International.

Best Symbol Group, sponsored by JUUL Labs, saw CJ Lang impress the judges with the way it has updated the business across the board to maximise output and quality of service to the retailer.

Two new awards were presented for the first time this year – Green Wholesaler of the Year, sponsored by Zero Waste Scotland, and Rising Star of Wholesale, presented by the Scottish Wholesale Association.

Booker triumphed as the SWA’s inaugural Green Wholesaler of the Year. Zero Waste Scotland’s communications and PR manager, Claire Munro, praised the wholesaler’s long-term commitment to sustainability.

She said: “No stone was left unturned by the team at all levels to cut carbon emissions, reduce energy use, waste prevention and minimisation, boosting recycling, and stocking a range of environmentally-friendly products.”

SWA’s first Rising Star of Wholesale award went to Jason Butler, operations support manager at United Wholesale (Scotland).

Judges Moira Stalker, skills manager at the Food and Drink Federation Scotland and Alison Nimmo, programme manager at Developing the Young Workforce at Lanarkshire and East Dunbartonshire, interviewed entrants and pointed to Jason’s “passionate account” of his achievements at UWS, including his humble approach and his pride in his company and his colleagues.

Moving on to the suppliers’ awards, AG Barr came out on top – winning four of the awards, including the fiercely-contested category of Best Overall Service, judged by members of the SWA voting each month for the shortlisted suppliers over a four-month period. 

Supplier Sales Executive of the Year, sponsored by Unitas Wholesale, went to the company’s regional business development manager for Scotland, Steven McGarry. 

In Project Scotland, which highlights suppliers’ understanding of the Scottish wholesale industry and their commitment to the sector, AG Barr won for its ‘Launch of Irn-Bru Energy’ – the biggest soft drinks launch in Scotland last year. 

Finally, Best Advertising Campaign, which saw wholesalers vote for their favourite advert, went to Irn-Bru ‘Get Some Irn In You’.

Best Foodservice Supplier, again judged by members of the SWA voting each month for the shortlisted suppliers over a four-month period, saw Unilever Food Solutions most impress wholesalers.

Colin Smith, SWA chief executive, congratulated all the winners and said: “Our industry continues to experience unprecedented change and I applaud our wholesalers and suppliers who continue to find new and innovative ways to grow their businesses and develop their staff, create new revenue streams and provide the best possible customer service.”

“As your trade association, we are working on your behalf to achieve the best possible outcome for industry across a raft of legislative issues, including DRS (deposit return scheme).

“We are also working to create our very own SWA Wholesale Sustainability Charter and, of course, we have launched our new SWA Training Academy.

“Developing a skilled workforce and working with members to invest in the future sustainability of the wholesale industry is top of the agenda for us in our 80th anniversary year.”

Almost 460 people attended the Achievers gala dinner and awards presentation, hosted by TV presenter Jennifer Reoch, at the Sheraton Grand, Edinburgh on Thursday, 13th February.

 

The 2020 ROLL OF HONOUR

Best Cash & Carry – sponsored by JTI
United Wholesale (Scotland), Queenslie

Runner-up
Batleys Sher, Glasgow

Highly Commended
Makro, Edinburgh

 

Best Symbol Group – sponsored by JUUL Labs
Spar, CJ Lang & Son

Runner-up
KeyStore, JW Filshill

Highly Commended
Premier, Booker

 

Best Delivered Operation (Retail) – sponsored by Lucozade Ribena Suntory
CJ Lang & Son and JW Filshill

Highly Commended
Booker

 

Best Delivered Operation (Foodservice) – sponsored by Pritchitts
Bidfood Scotland and JB Foods

Highly Commended
Fáilte Foods

 

Great Place to Work – sponsored by AG Barr
Bidfood Scotland

Runners-up
Fáilte Foods and JW Filshill

Highly Commended
Lomond Foods

 

Best Licensed Operation – sponsored by Halewood Wines & Spirits
JW Filshill

Runner-up
CJ Lang & Son

Highly Commended
Inverarity Morton

 

Employee of the Year – sponsored by Philip Morris International
Lorraine MacPherson, symbol development manager, United Wholesale (Scotland)

Runners-up
Paula Middleton, marketing manager, CJ Lang & Son and Shirley Ruane, KeyStore area manager, JW Filshill

Highly Commended
Anne McDonald, technical and health and safety manager, Lomond Foods

 

Best Marketing Initiative – sponsored by Premier Foods
Bidfood Scotland for its ‘Grabbing Goodness’ campaign and JW Filshill for its ‘KeyStore Football Fever’ campaign

Highly Commended
United Wholesale (Scotland) for its ‘Warehouse of the Future’ campaign

 

Best Advertising Campaign
Irn-Bru for ‘Get Some Irn In You’

 

Project Scotland
AG Barr for the ‘Launch of Irn-Bru Energy’

Runner-up
JUUL Labs for its ‘Mission Scotland’ project

Highly Commended
Nairn’s Oatcakes for its ‘Savoury Snacking Goes Pop in Scotland’ initiative

 

Best Overall Service by Suppliers
AG Barr

Runner-up
JTI

Highly Commended
Heineken

 

Best Foodservice Supplier
Unilever Food Solutions

Runner-up
AG Barr

Highly Commended
Innovate Foods

 

Supplier Sales Executive of the Year, sponsored by Unitas Wholesale
Steven McGarry, regional business development manager for Scotland

Runner-up
Hazel Boyd, Heineken 

Highly Commended
Jamie Shiel, Angus Soft Fruits

 

Rising Star of Wholesale, presented by Scottish Wholesale Association
Jason Butler, operations support manager, United Wholesale (Scotland)

Runner-up
Molly Borys, category marketing mananager, Inverarity Morton

Highly Commended
Lauren Ingram, bakery manager, Lomond Foods

 

Green Wholesaler of the Year, sponsored by Zero Waste Scotland
Booker

Runner-up
Sutherland Brothers

Highly Commended
Lomond Foods