Cotswold Fayre has been named Specialist Wholesaler of the Year at The Grocer Gold Awards 2026, recognising an exceptional year of commercial growth, innovation and its unwavering commitment to supporting independent retailers, suppliers and the wider food industry.

The prestigious accolade celebrates Cotswold Fayre’s continued success in helping independent farm shops, delicatessens, butchers and garden centres thrive, while creating new opportunities for more than 500 artisan food and drink producers and supplying over 2,250 independent retail outlets across the UK.
Judges praised the business not only for its impressive commercial performance, but for the way it has scaled its specialist wholesale model without compromising its values, recognising its credibility, trust and purpose as key differentiators.

Over the past year, Cotswold Fayre has delivered one of the strongest performances in its 26 year history, achieving 23.1% wholesale growth against an ambitious 18% target, taking wholesale revenues beyond £30 million. Growth has been driven by continued investment in independent retail, alongside significant expansion into national accounts, with sales to garden centres increasing by 97% and national grocery customers growing by 141%.

One of the year’s standout achievements has been Cotswold Fayre’s exclusive wholesale partnership with Diddly Squat Farm Shop, making one of Britain’s most talked-about food brands accessible to independent retailers across the UK. By taking the range beyond the Cotswolds and onto the shelves of farm shops, delicatessens and garden centres nationwide, the partnership has given consumers greater access to the brand while creating valuable commercial opportunities for independent retailers.

Alongside this, the business has continued to invest heavily in innovation. Its pioneering Dual Temp delivery solution has transformed the way retailers purchase chilled and frozen ranges by enabling both categories to be delivered in a single drop, reducing administration, lowering minimum order barriers and making a positive impact on the environment through reduced carbon from additional deliveries.

Cotswold Fayre has also strengthened its support for suppliers through CoFi, its market leading supplier insight platform. Unique within the speciality food wholesale sector, CoFi provides suppliers with powerful channel-level sales intelligence, enabling them to understand how their ranges are performing, identify distribution gaps, uncover growth opportunities and make more informed commercial decisions. The platform is setting a new benchmark for supplier insight within the specialist food industry.

Sustainability remains central to the business. As one of the UK’s first certified B Corps, Cotswold Fayre has been carbon neutral since 2019 and continues to demonstrate that commercial success and positive impact go hand in hand, redistributing surplus food, reducing waste and supporting retailers and suppliers in building a more sustainable future.

Paul Hargreaves, Founder and CEO of Cotswold Fayre, said:

“Winning Specialist Wholesaler of the Year is an incredible honour and one that belongs to every member of the Cotswold Fayre family. Awards like this are never won by one person.
They are won by people who care deeply about doing the right thing every day. I’m privileged to work alongside a team that does exactly that.

For more than 26 years, our mission has been to help independent retailers flourish by connecting them with outstanding producers and delivering exceptional service. This award is wonderful recognition that we can continue to grow while remaining true to that purpose. I’m immensely proud of everything our team has achieved over the past year. From bringing exciting brands such as Diddly Squat to independent retailers across the UK, to investing in innovations like Dual Temp and our market-leading CoFi platform that gives suppliers the insight they need to grow their businesses, we are constantly looking for new ways to create value for both our customers and our supplier partners.

I’d like to thank our brilliant colleagues, our loyal customers, our incredible suppliers and everyone who has supported us on this journey. This award belongs to all of them, and we’re
excited about what comes next.”

The award reinforces Cotswold Fayre’s position as the UK’s leading speciality fine food wholesaler and recognises a business that continues to combine commercial success with innovation, sustainability and an unwavering commitment to championing independent retail.

For Cotswold Fayre, this recognition is about far more than one successful year—it is proof that a specialist wholesaler can scale nationally while remaining true to its purpose, creating lasting value for retailers, suppliers and consumers alike.