Brook Street

Brook Street Foodservice has joined the Country Range buying group.

The Suffolk-based wholesaler, which was established in 1990, is looking to increase its regional influence after turning over £13.7m last year.

Brook Street MD Mark Thomas said joining Country Range formed part of a five-year plan to establish the business as the dominant player in the East Anglia region.

Having access to the group’s buying power, data and insights, and own brand portfolio, would help it become a genuine challenger to the national operators, he added.

The news comes after Country Range lost two members this year, Thomas Ridley Foodservice and Harvest Fine Foods, which were acquired by Bidcorp.

“With recent acquisitions in the sector by large conglomerate companies under the guise of remaining independent, we felt the need to be able position ourselves as a true leading independent foodservice provider in the East Anglia region,” said Brook Street commercial director Gavin Jones.

“We are absolutely delighted to be joining a group of independent family-run businesses, delivering exceptional service, quality, and value to their customers in the foodservice sector.

“The team and I are looking forward to joining the Country Range Group and fully utilising its buying power, marketing expertise, coupled with the best practice and experience of its membership.

Country Range CEO Martin Ward said: “Brook Street Foodservice is a hugely successful and trusted, family-run food supplier in the heart of Suffolk, and we’re thrilled to welcome Mark, Gavin and their talented team to the group.

“Strategically it is important to us to have a CRG member in this area, especially following the huge demand we have had for our Country Range brand products in the region. We look forward to working with them closely to drive further growth and success in the future.”