The Country Range Group (CRG) is ending the year on a high, announcing that King Brothers Foodservice will join as its newest member starting 1st January 2026.

A proudly independent, family-run business with over a century of history, King Brothers Foodservice traces its roots back to 1908. That year Denis King purchased a 500-acre farm in Orton Waterville, Peterborough.

Through dedication and hard work, Denis was supplying some of London’s leading restaurants and hotels with the finest poultry and pork by the outbreak of World War II.

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Diageo has announced that former Tesco chief executive Sir Dave Lewis will become its new CEO and executive director, effective January 1, 2026.

Lewis brings extensive leadership experience to the position, having served as Group CEO of Tesco from 2014 to 2020.

Prior to that, he spent three decades at FMCG giant Unilever, where he held senior roles overseeing marketing and business operations.

Sir John Manzoni.

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JJ Foodservice has been awarded a two-year, £3 million-per-year contract with NEPO to supply over 300 sites across eight North East councils. This encompasses schools, nurseries, cafés, theatres, leisure centres, civic facilities, and care services.

Since the agreement began in July 2025, JJ Foodservice has been supplying a comprehensive range of frozen foods — from bakery products and desserts to poultry, fish, fruit, vegetables, and plant-based alternatives — helping to meet the catering requirements of communities throughout the North East and Tees Valley.

Carl Telford.

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Food and drink wholesaler JJ Foodservice has revealed plans to open a new Midlands branch next year.

This will be part of a five-year expansion strategy that includes eight new UK branches and its first international location in the Netherlands.

The sale of the 35,000 sq ft premises is expected to be completed within the next few weeks, at which point JJ will announce the exact location. The new branch will provide the wholesaler with a capacity of 3,500 pallets.

Speaking at the JJ Connect conference at Convene in London’s Bishopsgate.

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Naked Wines has appointed Jan-Hendrik Mohr as a non-executive director, with the role effective immediately.

In his most recent position, he was CEO of CHAPTERS Group and oversaw JMX Capital, an investment partner in Naked Wines since 2016.

Mohr also served as chairman of Software Circle plc from 2016 to 2024, guiding the company through a period of strategic transition.

Non-Executive Chair of Naked Wines.

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Scott Duncan, formerly Managing Director at Unox UK, has been appointed Managing Director of Hobart UK, the commercial catering equipment provider.

He succeeds Tracy Southwell, who made history in January 2023 as the company’s first female Managing Director, having originally joined Hobart in 2021 as Sales and Marketing Director.

Before his four-year tenure at Unox, Duncan held senior leadership positions at Carpigiani UK, Jestic Foodservice, and Servequip.

In addition to his new role at Hobart UK.

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Brakes has introduced a new initiative aimed at helping small businesses start supplying into the sector.

The ‘Get Set Supply!’ programme will pair selected suppliers with mentors from Brakes or established suppliers, providing guidance and support to help drive sales through the company.

After an online application process, around 12 shortlisted companies will be invited to a quarterly innovation session with hospitality operator customers and key procurement contacts. Successful suppliers from the session will then be selected to have their products listed.

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Debra Crew, Diageo’s chief executive, has resigned from her role after two years, according to a report by The Times.

Nik Jhangiani, the chief financial officer, has been named interim CEO while the company searches for a permanent successor.

The Guinness owner described the departure as a mutual decision and did not provide any additional details.

The change in leadership comes as the parent company of Johnnie Walker and Guinness faces challenges.

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The Catering Innovation Show is set to take place at The Business Design Centre in London on Tuesday 28th October 2025.

The Catering Innovation Show is the essential event for foodservice professionals across restaurants, hotels, contract catering, healthcare, public sector catering, stadia, and leisure.

The event brings together leading brands, innovative suppliers, and the newest cutting-edge catering equipment, this event offers a comprehensive platform to explore groundbreaking innovations.

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Musgrave Northern Ireland has announced the appointments of John McGinnity as head of wholesale and foodservice, and David Higgins as retail sales director.

Higgins brings more than 20 years of FMCG experience to the food retail, wholesale, and foodservice company, joining from Diageo Ireland where he most recently served as head of spirits, having previously held the position of head of strategic accounts.

As retail sales director, Higgins will lead the growth of the retail partnership model throughout Northern Ireland.

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Drinks giant Diageo has warned that the continuation of the 10% U.S. tariff on UK and European imports could cost the company an estimated $150 million (£112 million) annually.

The company said it expects to offset around half of the impact on operating profit on an ongoing basis without adjusting its prices, but added that it will continue to explore additional mitigation measures.

Diageo issued the warning in its Q3 2025 trading statement, which showed a 2.9% year-on-year sales increase to $4.

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Heineken has unveiled plans to invest £40 million into over 600 community pubs located in rural and suburban areas.

The brewer and pub operator stated that the £40 million investment in its Star Pubs division will support the reopening of closed sites, with renovation work already underway or completed at 10 pubs in 2025.

In 2024, Heineken invested £9.5 million to reopen 62 long-term closed pubs and reported its lowest number of closures since 2019.

In addition to refurbishments.

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A.F. Blakemore & Son Ltd has named Steven Nuttall as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

He will succeed Ian Kellett, who joined in July and is set to retire at the end of May.

Nuttall brings extensive leadership and transformation experience in retail and FMCG, having most recently served as Group CFO at the fresh goods business Flamingo Group.

His previous roles include Interim CFO at Asda and Finance Director for Co-op Food.

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Tenzing, the award-winning natural energy drink and the only one operating at scale, has secured a minority investment from Heineken UK. The partnership will support Tenzing’s continued growth and foster collaboration through shared insights between the two companies.

The UK energy drinks market is now worth £2.2 billion and continues to grow at 6% year on year. Within this dynamic category, Tenzing has rapidly risen to become the fourth-largest functional energy drink in UK grocery. Founded in 2016 by entrepreneur Huib van Bockel -driven by a desire to offer a cleaner alternative to artificial energy drinks -Tenzing stands out with its 100% plant-based recipe.

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Hatch Mansfield has officially achieved B Corporation (B Corp) certification, joining a global movement of businesses committed to positive social and environmental impact. Verified by B Lab, the nonprofit organisation behind the B Corp movement, this certification reflects Hatch Mansfield's dedication to high standards of transparency, accountability, and sustainability, going beyond shareholder value to benefit people and the planet.

The certification process is rigorous, requiring applicants to achieve a benchmark score of over 80 while demonstrating socially and environmentally responsible practices in areas such as energy use.

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The UK’s finest and largest whisky festival, the Whisky Show, presented by the Whisky Exchange is returning to Old Billingsgate, London for three days between 3rd and 5th October 2025.

The event features features whisky producers, demonstrations and masterclasses in the whisky world, offering opportunities to taste the finest whiskies available today.

For more information please visit https://whiskyshow.com/london/

After adding five new members to the Country Range Group in 2024, CRG has started 2025 on a similarly positive note with the announcement of Valley Foods as its newest foodservice wholesale member.

With the addition of Valley Foods, the Group now comprises 15 member businesses and 17 wholesalers, collectively serving the entire UK, Ireland, coastal Spain, and Jersey.

Established in Trinity, Jersey, in 1981, Valley Foods was founded by Matt Rogan, who initially traveled to the UK mainland to source specialist products for chefs and the broader hospitality industry.

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A key leader in Hilton’s European F&B strategy for the past 10 years has joined Meiko UK's management team.

Jon Sharp, with over 35 years of industry experience, will take on the role of Specification Manager for Meiko's 'care and protect' sectors. These sectors include specialised washing systems for care homes and breathing apparatus for firefighters.

Mr. Sharp, who brings extensive sales leadership and business development expertise, was instrumental in driving significant F&B brand growth for Hampton by Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn during his decade-long tenure as a key member of Hilton’s leadership team across Europe.

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Supreme, a UK-based consumer goods company, has acquired Typhoo Tea after it entered administration.

The Guardian reported that the rescue deal was valued at £10.2 million.

The acquisition secures Typhoo’s future in both UK and international markets, maintaining the brand’s British ownership.

Founded in 1903, Typhoo entered administration last month, putting its future and associated brands in jeopardy.

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McClures, the proud independent foodservice wholesaler from the English Lake District, has been announced as the latest company to join the Country Range Group.

Becoming the Group’s 15th member and the fifth new addition in 2024, McClures officially joined the Country Range Group on 1st December 2024.

Based in Windermere, in the heart of the English Lake District, McClures is a family-owned business founded by Bill McClure in 1945.

Initially selling Morecambe Bay shrimps from a hand cart in Kendal.

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