Scotland’s most forward-thinking, resilient and innovative wholesalers have been recognised and rewarded by the industry at the annual Scottish Wholesale Achievers Awards.

Achievers, celebrating its 20^th anniversary in 2023 and organised by the Scottish Wholesale Association, highlights excellence across all sectors of the wholesale industry and the achievements that have made a difference to individuals, communities and businesses over the last year.

A record number of guests attended the Achievers gala dinner and awards presentation, hosted by TV sports presenter Amy Irons, at the event’s new venue, the O2 Academy Edinburgh, on Thursday, 23 February.

Twelve wholesaler categories were up for grabs across retail, foodservice, licensed, technology and community-focused sectors.

Suppliers were also recognised for their support of the wholesale sector with awards in six categories including Best Overall Service, Best Foodservice Supplier and Local Supplier of the Year.

Recognising the importance of people within the wholesale industry, Achievers shone a spotlight on the people who play such an integral part in the success of wholesale and supplier businesses with awards for wholesale Employee of the Year and Rising Star of Wholesale – with the wholesaler deemed Great Place to Work also rewarded.

Wholesalers had an opportunity to impress the judges with their Best Marketing Initiative, show how they are involved at local level in the Community Service Award category, and demonstrated their commitment to the environment in the Sustainable Wholesaler of the Year category.

Multiple winners on the night included CJ Lang & Son – picking up Best Delivered Operation – Retail, Best Symbol Group and Best Marketing Initiative – while Failte Foods also won three categories: Community Service Award, Best Delivered Operation – Foodservice and Rising Star of Wholesale for Bethany Kennedy.

United Wholesale (Scotland) won three awards: Best Cash & Carry for its depot in Queenslie, Glasgow, Best Licensed Wholesaler and Best Technology Initiative.

Two categories were claimed by Lomond Foods – Sustainable Wholesaler of the Year and Great Place to Work.

There was a special cheer as the audience raised the roof for David Hadden of Booker Edinburgh A1, the recipient of Employee of the Year.

Celebrating the support of suppliers to the wholesale industry and recognising the great people who work for them, Achievers crowned Kepak’s Mark Violet as Supplier Sales Executive of the Year.

The new Local Supplier of the Year award went to Aberdeenshire-based Summer House Drinks with Colin Smith, SWA chief executive, revealing that such has been the success of the SWA’s ‘Delivering Growth Through Wholesale’ programme that Achievers 2024 will present a new award for Wholesale Local Food Champion.

This award complements the ‘Delivering Growth Through Wholesale’ programme, which is designed to not only increase the amount of local sourcing by Scottish wholesalers but strengthen the wholesale supply chain for all.

Meanwhile, long-time wholesale channel supporter, soft drinks firm AG Barr, won both the Best Overall Service and Best Advertising Campaign categories.

Project Wholesale was won by Red Star Brands for its Four Loko initiative while Unilever Food Solutions claimed the Best Foodservice Supplier category.

Colin Smith said: “This is our 20^th year of these prestigious awards and we have a lot to celebrate, from the remarkable individuals who go above and beyond in their day-to-day duties to make a real difference in our industry and in their communities, to the wholesalers and suppliers that go the extra mile to provide exceptional customer service to get food and drink delivered the length and breadth of Scotland.

“The wholesale industry is not for the faint-hearted. We’ve shown grit and determination as we’ve stumbled out of a pandemic – and into a new set of challenges and turbulence for the food and drink industry. Rising inflation, falling food supplies, spiralling energy costs and the search for skilled workers.

“Whether it’s retail, hospitality, tourism, sustainability, economic transformation, or health and wellbeing – that’s why here tonight we are joined not just by our wholesale and supplier members but our colleagues and partners from across industry, and from within the Scottish Government. Colleagues that we work closely with and who help us to help you.”

Smith pointed to how Achievers has evolved over the years yet has retained its clear point of difference as the only awards scheme for the wholesale industry which has an independent judging panel.

“We are very proud of Achievers,” he said. “We have strived every year to improve the awards based on your feedback, and we have created new award categories that reflect changes that have already happened, and that we wish to encourage, in our industry.

“And such is the success of our ‘Delivering Growth Through Wholesale’ programme that the Scottish Government has provided funding for us to create 40 Wholesale Local Food Champions, and I am delighted to announce that for Achievers 2024 there will be a new award for our top ‘Wholesale Local Food Champion’.”

Full list of winners

Great Place to Work, sponsored by Pernod Ricard

Lomond Foods

Runner-up: Booker Dundee

Highly Commended: United Wholesale (Scotland)

 

Best Cash & Carry, sponsored by Philip Morris

United Wholesale (Scotland), Queenslie

Runner-up: Batleys Sher Glasgow

Highly Commended: Booker A1 Edinburgh

 

Best Delivered Operation – Retail, sponsored by Juul

CJ Lang & Son

Runner-up: JW Filshill

Highly Commended: United Wholesale (Scotland)

 

Best Symbol Group, sponsored by Budweiser

SPAR, CJ Lang & Son

Runner-up: KeyStore, JW Filshill

Highly Commended: Day-Today, United Wholesale (Scotland)

 

Best Technology Initiative, sponsored by TWC

United Wholesale (Scotland)

Runner-up: Lomond Foods

 

Community Service Award, sponsored by AG Barr

Failte Foods

Runner-up: CJ Lang & Son

 

Best Delivered Operation – Foodservice, sponsored by Premier Foods

Failte Foods

Runner-up: Lomond Foods

Highly Commended: Brakes Scotland and Dunns Food & Drinks

 

Best Licensed Wholesaler, sponsored by Halewood

United Wholesale (Scotland)

Runner-up: Alison Wholesale

Highly Commended: Gordon & MacPhail

 

Best Marketing Initiative, sponsored by Suntory

CJ Lang & Son

Runner-up: Brakes Scotland

Highly Commended: United Wholesale (Scotland)

 

Employee of the Year, sponsored by Red Bull

David Hadden, Booker Edinburgh A1

Runner-up: Karen Clark, Brakes Scotland

Highly Commended: Scott Robertson, Booker Galashiels

 

Best Advertising Campaign, sponsored by SWA

Irn-Bru

‘Let’s Just Agree It Tastes…’ (Prom)

 

Local Supplier of the Year, sponsored by Dunns Food & Drinks

Summer House Drinks

Runner-up: Millers Larder

Highly Commended: Toll House Spirits

 

Project Wholesale, sponsored by Bestway Wholesale

Four Loko, Red Star Brands

Runners-up: Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I and Swizzels

Highly Commended: Juul Labs

 

Best Overall Service, sponsored by SWA

AG Barr

Runner-up: JTI

Highly Commended: Juul Labs

 

Best Foodservice Supplier, sponsored by SWA

Unilever Food Solutions

Runner-up: Highland Fine Cheeses

Highly Commended: Premier Foods

 

Supplier Sales Executive of the Year, sponsored by Unitas Wholesale

Mark Violet, Kepak

Runner-up: David Walker, Heineken UK

Highly Commended: Richard Garden, BrewDog

 

Rising Star of Wholesale, sponsored by KP Snacks

Bethany Kennedy, Failte Foods

Runner-up: Calum Brown, Brakes Scotland

Highly Commended: Jordan Mclay, United Wholesale (Scotland)

 

Sustainable Wholesaler of the Year, sponsored by JTI

Lomond Foods

Runner-up: Booker

Highly Commended: Brakes Scotland

 

Download the Achievers Bulletin Here