A night of wholesale success

Channel leaders come together to celebrate the strength of the Scottish wholesale sector

THE Scottish Wholesale Association (SWA) has once again celebrated the strength of the industry at its glittering Achievers Awards ceremony.

Taking place on 22 February at the O2 Academy Edinburgh, some 520 guests flocked to the venue to recognise the high standards present across Scotland’s outstanding wholesale industry at the event hosted by TV presenter Amy Irons.

Wholesalers were once again given the opportunity to impress SWA judges across a range of categories, with a total of 19 awards up for grabs on the evening, including the ceremony’s new Best Innovation gong.

Multiple winners on the evening included Spar Scotland wholesaler CJ Lang & Son, which picked up three gongs – the most of any winner – for Best Delivered Operation – Retail, Best Symbol Group and Community Service Award.

United Wholesale Scotland was commended for its work with the Best Cash & Carry award for its depot in Queenslie, Glasgow, as well as the Best Licensed Wholesaler achievement.

For Booker, it was the wholesaler’s commitment to the planet that saw the firm clinch the Sustainable Wholesaler of the Year award.

Two categories were claimed by Brakes Scotland as well. The Best Marketing Initiative award recognised the firm’s My Brakes Rewards and Kelsey Brannan, area sales manager for Brakes, took home the Rising Star of Wholesale award on the evening.

Finally, Great Place to Work went to Costco due to its commitment to employee welfare, which set it apart as a model employer, according to the SWA.

The night also highlighted the support of the suppliers as well with the SWA tipping its hat and recognising the great work that many firms do across wholesale in Scotland.

Achievers crowned Budweiser Brewing Group’s Tiffany Emmett the Supplier Sales Executive of the Year, with the Local Supplier of the Year award going to Perthshire-based business Clootie McToot.

Acknowledging a great deal of support that can bubble over to the benefit of many wholesalers as well, AG Barr took home the Project Scotland gong for the launch of its PWR-BRU big can energy range.

Tennent’s ‘Raised in Scotland – OOOFT’ campaign saw the drinks firm win the gong for Best Advertising Campaign.

Best FoodService Supplier went to Mrs Tilly’s and the Best Overall Services category, one of the most coveted awards of the evening, went to JTI.

Colin Smith, chief executive at the SWA, said: “Achievers has evolved since its launch 21 years ago and I am proud that it remains one of the premier wholesale industry events in the UK – so a huge thank you to all the wholesalers who took time out of their busy schedules to enter the awards and meet the judges.

“We stand out because Achievers has retained its clear point of difference as the only awards scheme for the wholesale industry which has an independent judging panel.

“It is this transparency, and our willingness to listen to feedback from wholesalers and our supporting suppliers alike, that gives us a high standing in our sector.

Full list of winners

Great Place to Work, sponsored by Red Bull

Costco

Runner-up: Brakes Scotland

Highly Commended: Faílte Foods and United Wholesale (Scotland)

Best Innovation, sponsored by TWC

Bidfood

Joint Runners-up: Faílte Foods and Lynas Foodservice

Highly Commended: United Wholesale (Scotland)

Best Cash & Carry, sponsored by JUUL

United Wholesale (Scotland), Queenslie

Runner-up: Bestway Glasgow Sher

Highly Commended: Booker Galashiels

Best Delivered Operation – Retail, sponsored by JTI

CJ Lang & Son

Runner-up: JW Filshill

Highly Commended: United Wholesale (Scotland)

Best Symbol Group, sponsored by Philip Morris International

SPAR, CJ Lang & Son

Runner-up: KeyStore, JW Filshill

Highly Commended: Day-Today, United Wholesale (Scotland)

Community Service Award, sponsored Pernod Ricard

CJ Lang & Son

Runner-up: Brakes

Joint Highly Commended are: Costco and Mark Murphy Dole

Best Delivered Operation – Foodservice, sponsored by Premier Foods

Faílte Foods

Runner-up: Bidfood Edinburgh

Highly Commended: Bidfood Glasgow

Best Licensed Wholesaler, sponsored by AB InBev

United Wholesale (Scotland)

Runner-up: JW Filshill

Highly Commended: Sutherland Brothers

Best Marketing Initiative, sponsored by Britvic

Brakes

Runner-up: United Wholesale (Scotland)

Highly Commended: Bidfood

Employee of the Year, sponsored by AG Barr

Paul Ellwood, senior buyer, Faílte Foods

Runner-up: Tracy Pate, business manager, Allsons

Highly Commended: Andrew Allison, business improvement manager, JW Filshill

Sustainable Wholesaler of the Year, sponsored by Suntory Beverage & Food

Booker

Runner-up: Bidfood

Highly Commended: Mark Murphy Dole

Best Advertising Campaign, sponsored by SWA

Tennent’s

‘Raised in Scotland – OOOFT’

Local Supplier of the Year, sponsored by CJ Lang & Son

Clootie McToot

Runner-up: Mrs Tilly’s

Highly Commended: Taza Bake

Wholesale Local Food Champion, sponsored by Scotland Food & Drink
Mark Don, Braehead Foods
Runner-up: Mark Morrison, T Quality

Joint Highly Commended: Fernanda De Souza, CJ Lang and James Stewart, Mark Murphy Dole

Project Wholesale, sponsored by Bestway

AG Barr for the launch of PWR-BRU big can energy range

Runner-up: Days Brewing Co for its work with Dunns Food & Drinks to boost sales and distribution of its alcohol-free beer

Highly Commended: Red Star Brands for its introduction of Four Loko White

Best Overall Service, sponsored by SWA

JTI

Runner-up: AG Barr

Highly Commended: Imperial Tobacco

Best Foodservice Supplier, sponsored by SWA

Mrs Tilly’s

Runner-up: Unilever Food Solutions

Highly Commended: AG Barr

Supplier Sales Executive of the Year, sponsored by Unitas Wholesale

Tiffany Emmett, Budweiser Brewing Group
Runner-up: Craig Barr, AG Barr

Highly Commended: Zoe Stephens, KP Snacks

Rising Star of Wholesale, sponsored by KP Snacks

Kelsey Brannan, area sales manager, Brakes
Runner-up: Charlotte Richards, technical administrator, Braehead Foods

Highly Commended: Marc Watson, driver, Bidfood Paisley.