Ambitious A to Z Catering joins Fairway Foodservice as part of growth plans

A to Z Catering has joined the Fairway Foodservice buying group, as part of plans to significantly expand its foodservice operations.

The company, based in Hornsey, London, is well known for supplying the fast food market, and has enjoyed steady growth supplying the foodservice industry in the last 16 years.

Its foodservice customers include schools, theme parks, hotels, and playgrounds, and owner and managing director Hifsi Ayrancioglu hopes to build on this after becoming Fairway’s 18^th member.

“Joining Fairway is a key part of developing our foodservice offering,” he said.

“We have built a successful business focusing on the fast food industry, and our goal is to replicate this in foodservice.

“We have a solid base of customers throughout Greater London and the south east, going as far west as Poole, Oxford and as far north as Cambridge.

“With Fairway’s support, guidance and expertise we hope to accelerate our growth and expect foodservice to contribute significantly to our turnover in four years.”

As well as joining Fairway, A to Z Catering is setting up a dedicated foodservice sales team and is seeking to recruit an experienced foodservice sales manager.

The business had a turnover of £27m in 2015 and employs 120 people, most of whom have been there for more than 10 years. Its 40,00sq ft depot holds its frozen, chilled and ambient products.

Fairway’s chief executive Chris Binge said: “A to Z Catering is a profitable, well-managed, substantial business, with progressive development plans for supplying foodservice accounts in the south east.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Hifsi and his team to the Fairway group. We look forward to helping A to Z develop its foodservice business with our product range and expertise, and working together to help A to Z achieve its objectives.”

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 £626m in 2015.

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.