Country Range Group (CRG) has unveiled an ambitious new five-year strategy aimed at driving significant growth across its membership, with plans to achieve £1.5 billion in sales by 2030.
The announcement was made during the Group’s annual exhibition and conference in Telford, where more than 650 delegates from across the foodservice sector gathered to discuss industry trends, opportunities and the future direction of the organisation.
Now in its 26th year, the event was the largest in the Group’s history, featuring 125 exhibition stands and bringing together CRG members, supplier partners and industry leaders for a day of networking, innovation and collaboration. The exhibition also generated a record £4 million in orders during the event.
The conference centred on the launch of CRG’s new strategic roadmap, presented by Chief Executive Martin Ward. Built around the Group’s core values of Collaboration, Respect and Growth, the strategy focuses on five key pillars: Scale, Our Brands, ESG, Digital and Data.
Alongside its sales ambitions, the Group is targeting growth of its own-brand portfolio to £250 million by 2030 and has launched a new charitable initiative, CRG Impact, which aims to raise £1 million for charitable causes over the next five years.
Martin Ward said: “Our annual exhibition and conference is always an important opportunity to bring our members, suppliers and partners together, but this year’s event marked a particularly significant milestone for the Group.
“The launch of our new strategic roadmap provides a clear vision for the future and a framework that will help our members achieve faster, more profitable growth. With ambitious targets in place and a strong focus on collaboration, innovation and value creation, we are excited about the opportunities ahead.”
The conference also featured a series of presentations examining key trends shaping the future of foodservice.
Head of Marketing Emma Holden delivered an industry update covering changing consumer behaviours, market developments and the emerging impact of GLP-1 weight-loss medications on menu development and purchasing patterns.
A panel discussion involving marketing and sales leaders from across the Group explored how wholesalers can strengthen customer relationships, improve supplier collaboration and unlock new opportunities in an evolving marketplace.
A major addition to this year’s exhibition was The Discovery Kitchen, a new live demonstration stage that quickly became one of the event’s most popular attractions.
The programme featured cooking demonstrations, workshops and expert presentations covering menu innovation, food waste reduction, allergen management, texture-modified diets and talent development within hospitality.
Contributors included Premier Foods, Délifrance, Natasha’s Foundation, IDDSI specialist Andy Cullum and Springboard FutureChef.
Maxine Arms of Délifrance said: “We had a fantastic day and it was great to highlight our products and see strong interest. One of the key products we showcased was our Heat to Eat range and the feedback from attendees was brilliant so it’s been hugely successful all round.”
The event reinforced CRG’s commitment to collaboration, innovation and supporting its members with the insight, expertise and partnerships needed to navigate a rapidly changing foodservice landscape.
About the Country Range Group
With over 30 years of heritage servicing the UK & Ireland’s innovative foodservice sector, the Country Range Group is made up of 17 member businesses and 19 wholesaler – Birchall Foodservice, Blakemore Foodservice, Brook Street Foodservice, Country Valley Foods, Crowndale Foodservice, Dunns Food and Drinks, Europ Foods, First Choice Foodservice, Harlech Foodservice, Henderson Foodservice, King Brothers Foodservice, Kitwave (including Creed Foodservice, Total Foodservice and WestCountry), McClures, Savona Foodservice, Trevors Foodservice, Valley Foods, Waterdene Foodservice.
In addition to offering the leading brands from around the globe, the Group also offers a three-tiered own brand portfolio under Country Range, Signature by Country Range and Catering Essentials.
Widely recognised by caterers as trusted and reliable brands that deliver consistent quality and value for money without compromising on taste and flavour, the 700 plus products are all developed exclusively for professional caterers and cover grocery, chilled and frozen.
Alongside this, the Group recently launched its Clean Range Pro brand which features over 40 professional cleaning products which are colour co-ordinated, adhering to the British Institute of Cleaning Science’s colour coding system, and include QR codes on the product labels that link directly to safety data sheets for full product and usage information. Arming foodservice professionals with the ultimate tools to keep every area clean, protected and food-safe, the new range improves product visibility and consolidates the Group’s hygiene and cleaning offering.
The Group publishes its trade magazine Stir it up 9 times a year, which features the latest food, drink and industry news, Country Range brand promotions and in-depth trend reports and sector specific guides to support and inspire all foodservice caterers.
The Country Range Group has also entered into a three-year charitable partnership with The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation. The unique partnership will see the buying group and its members work alongside the charity to raise compassion, understanding and crucially, vital funds, to help make food allergy history.
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