The Country Range Group (CRG) has announced that the vastly experienced foodservice and manufacturing stalwart Ton Christiaanse is to become its first external chairman and will begin the role in July.
Ton Christiaanse, Chairman, Country Range GroupWith over 30 years’ experience producing sustained revenue and business growth for FMCG companies, Christiaanse’s new role will see him work closely with Managing Director Coral Rose and the CRG board to navigate the many hurdles facing the foodservice over the next few years, as well as supporting the Group’s strategic direction to build on its success and reputation.
Ton has a proven track record of achieving profit objectives and developing strategic plans to support a company’s vision and future ideas. Previous companies he has worked with includes Unilever, Sara Lee and Brakes. Ton is also a respected Member of the Institute for Turnaround.
Commenting on his new role, Ton Christiaanse said: “I’m thrilled to be joining an organisation of such high reputation and stature as that of the Country Range Group and I can’t wait to start working alongside the board and executive team on the Group’s strategic direction.
“It has been a challenging time for the foodservice industry, but the CRG are in a strong position, and I am positive we can build on the success already achieved by the Group.”
Coral Rose, Country Range Group Managing Director, said: “This is a great appointment for the CRG. Ton’s experience and knowledge will be hugely beneficial to the Group as we look to develop our future strategy to meet changing market and Member needs.
“His reputation is second to none and I look forward to working alongside him to drive further success for the Country Range Group as we approach our 30th anniversary year in 2022.”
About the Country Range Group
With over 25 years of heritage servicing the UK & Ireland’s innovative foodservice sector, the Country Range Group is made up of 12 independent wholesalers – Birchall Foodservice, Blakemore Foodservice, Caterite Foodservice, Creed Foodservice, Dunns Food and Drinks, EFG Foodservice, Harvest Fine Foods, Henderson Foodservice, Savona Foodservice, Thomas Ridley Foodservice, Trevors Foodservice and Turner Price.
In addition to offering the leading brands from around the globe, the Group also provides over 800 products, all developed exclusively for professional caterers under the Country Range brand. Covering grocery, chilled, frozen and non-food, Country Range is widely recognised by caterers as a trusted and reliable brand delivering consistent quality and value for money without compromising on taste and flavour.
The Group also publishes its trade magazine Stir It Up 10 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 Group is dedicated to improving sustainability practices across the membership including finding long-term solutions for the Country Range packaging, while still maintaining the same high quality of the products across the range. As new products are developed, the Group is looking to reduce the amount of packaging used and increase the recyclability of the materials it contains. The Group is also working to remove “Problem Plastics” from their range such as black plastic by the end of 2021, of which there has been over 30 tonnes removed from the range so far. Alongside this, CRG will also move away from white cardboard in order to increase the level of recycled material in the outer cases used.
Website: www.countryrange.co.uk
Facebook/Twitter/Instagram: @countryrangeuk