<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thewholesalegroup.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/TWG-6011.webp\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nRecognising performance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Wholesale Group\u2019s Trade Day goes hand-in-hand with its annual awards evening, recognising suppliers and members across 17 individual categories for their efforts across engagement, social media, charity contributions and overall performance. This year also saw the introduction of a new Outstanding Achievement award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chairman Mark Aylwin introduced the awards and reflected on the resilience of the sector, noting that wholesale has faced more disruption in the past five years than in the previous 20. He also pointed to a changing future for wholesale, shaped by data, technology and partnership, and said he was proud to see the energy and momentum across the event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This year\u2019s award winners were as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Suppliers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Members<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Vinnie Liddar, Business Unit Controller at AG Barr said \u201cLast night was a real moment of pride for everyone at AG Barr. To be recognised by The Wholesale Group as Retail Supplier of the Year 2025 is incredibly special, particularly in such a competitive and customer-led environment. Since launching in January 2025, The Wholesale Group has quickly established itself as a major force within the channel, making this recognition especially meaningful as a reflection of the strength of our partnership and the consistency of our execution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was also a pleasure to build on that momentum at the Trade Show at Cheltenham Racecourse, which was extremely well organised and provided a valuable opportunity to connect with both members and suppliers. The energy throughout the event reflected the strength and ambition within wholesale today. We are proud of what we have achieved together over the past year and excited about the opportunities ahead. Our thanks go to Tom, Jess, Coral, Kirsty and the wider The Wholesale Group head office team for their guidance and support.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kevin Hawes, National Account Manager for Kerry Foods said: \u201cWe were very honoured to win Foodservice Supplier of the Year, and it came as a great surprise. It is especially nice to be recognised by our customers for the work we have done, and it really reflects the effort the team puts in behind the scenes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The event itself was also a great opportunity to speak directly with members we do not always get the chance to meet, showcase new product development and bring it to life by showing pack sizes, appearance and taste. It gives us a strong reason to follow up those conversations afterwards too. We launched new products last year and have more coming imminently, so it was the ideal platform for people to try what is next. What we value about The Wholesale Group is the effective, open and constant communication across the business. It is a collaborative relationship between supplier, head office and members, and that triangular approach is important to us. We are in it for the long haul, not a quick sale and run.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rebecca Morgan, Head of Marketing at Waterside Food Services, Marketing Manager, Waterside Food Services, said: \u201cAfter such a turbulent six months for our team during the move, it is an amazing honour to receive the first Outstanding Achievement award and be recognised by our peers across The Wholesale Group, its suppliers and fellow members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our relocation has future-proofed the business, giving us the space and capacity to become more efficient, broaden our offer and pursue new opportunities that were previously out of reach. Having been part of the group since the Confex days, we have seen first-hand how The Wholesale Group has opened up access to new suppliers, stronger own-label ranges and valuable networking opportunities that continue to support our growth.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Wholesale Group brought together over 350 suppliers and members at Cheltenham Racecourse for its annual Trade Show and awards \u2013 its largest gathering to date and a clear reflection of the group\u2019s continued growth in year two. Supported by major industry sponsors including AG Barr Group, Coca-Cola, Kellanova, Carlsberg Britvic, PepsiCo and Nestl\u00e9 \/ […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":28601,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"corporate_news":[244],"class_list":["post-28599","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","corporate_news-events"],"yoast_head":"\n\n
\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thewholesalegroup.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/TWGEve3601.webp\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n