A food wholesaler has struck a new three-year deal to support a major showcase for the tourism and hospitality industry in North Wales.
Harlech Foodservice say the sponsorship package for the Go North Wales Tourism Awards is its way of “showing solidarity” with a sector that’s been through tough times during and since the Covid pandemic.
The fast-growing company will underwrite the annual event up to 2027 with this year’s glittering occasion scheduled for Thursday, November 20, at Venue Cymru in Llandudno.
The firm which has its headquarters in Criccieth and bases in Chester, Aberbargoed, Carmarthen and Telford, has been the headline sponsor of the tourism awards since 2021.
It is no stranger to winning awards itself, having been crowned as the UK Food Wholesaler of the Year by the Caterer magazine earlier this year.
More recently it was named as one of the best places to work in the UK by the Sunday Times.
Harlech was set up over 50 years ago primarily to supply hotels, pubs, holiday and caravan parks and campsites across North West Wales but it has grown massively and its customers now include local authorities, schools and hospitals.
The hospitality industry is still a key part of its customer base and Managing Director David Cattrall said: “We are delighted to announce our continued support for the North Wales Tourism Awards.
“It has become such an important event in the calendar for a sector that is vital to the North Wales economy and which attracts so many people to this beautiful area of the UK.
“We are fortunate to live here but we appreciate that a big part of the offer that the tourism sector has right across North Wales is the high-quality food and drink that the region provides for its visitors.
“That’s why it is so important to us that as much of what we supply as possible should come from this area because the food people eat on holiday is a big part of the reason they come to North Wales.
“North Wales is a world class tourism destination which is innovative and varied and we’re proud to support those businesses by committing ourselves to backing these awards for the next three years.
“The tourism and hospitality industry was hit hard by the pandemic and this is our opportunity to give something back and celebrate the achievements of our core customers.
“For the same reason we have implemented fixed, transparent pricing, and upgraded our website and app to enable customers to compare range, price and product information and make instant decisions.
“Meanwhile, our Trust Our Prices campaign, which is aimed at the smaller, independent customer, has proved incredibly popular..
“We review our prices weekly against some of the biggest wholesalers in the UK, rejecting the common practice of increasing ‘negotiated’ prices without notice.
“Our customers can save 14 per cent as part of the Harlech 50 price comparison initiative that benchmarks prices of top-selling products against goods from industry giant Booker.
“On top of that our My Harlech loyalty app rewards customers with a rebate of up to 10 per cent on what they spend with Harlech Foodservice each year.”
The partnership with Go North Wales is a natural one for Harlech whose own showcase annual event, their Food Expo, is held every spring at Venue Cymru in the very same giant room which will host the tourism awards.
Go North Wales Director Jim Jones said: “We’re delighted that Harlech are committing to continue to support the tourism awards for the next three years.
“We have had a long and fruitful partnership with them and they have played such a key part in the region’s tourism for so many years.
“We are very proud of our industry and the award event really showcases the very best of North Wales and the amazing businesses which make it a truly world class destination for visitors.”
Harlech was founded in 1972 by Colin and Gill Foskett and the family is still active in the business.
It has grown steadily, moving to larger premises near Criccieth and adding a second office in Chester, to cover all of North and Mid Wales and the North West of England and that expansion has accelerated in the last 12 months.
David Cattrall has driven a £6 million plan to create 150 new jobs which has been fired by the company’s growth which has seen sales increase from £32 million to a record £50 million and profits of more than £2 million.
Since 2024 the business has opened new sites in Merthyr Tydfil and Carmarthen, snapped up rivals Celtic Foodservices and opened a fifth hub, near Telford in Shropshire.
Staff numbers have increased to 275 and a fleet of over 65 vehicles deliver up to 5,000 product lines across the whole of Wales, Shropshire, the Midlands and the North West.