Henderson Foodservice Delivers Gold Medal Standards in Final Awards Ceremony of the ear

Henderson Foodservice, a leading supplier to the hospitality industry across Ireland is closing out an award-winning year with two more accolades from the prestigious FWD (Federation of Wholesale Distributors) Gold Medal Awards 2023.

 The company, part of the Henderson Group, brought home the awards for Best Use of Data and Insight and Telesales Star from the London ceremony.

 Cathal Geoghegan, Managing Director at Henderson Foodservice says the company has successfully leveraged data-driven strategies to produce operational excellence; “This past year has seen our commitment and investment into our e-commerce and tech pay off with new business and heightened sales.

 “We invested £200,000 into this area of our business in the past year, which has allowed us to utilise those data insights and convert them into new business and an increase in turnover.”

 Henderson Foodservice has increased sales by 44% this year, up to £188m, as well as winning new business – an impressive 581 new accounts in 2023.

 The Judges said “Hendersons is in a different league… demonstrating the use of tech across all parts of its business”, and also commended the way data and insight has been instrumental in “an impressive jump in turnover”.

 Also bringing home a Gold Medal from the awards was Customer Service Manager, Gail Davidson, who was named Telesales Star at the ceremony.

 Judges said; “Gail has an encyclopedic memory of all Henderson’s product range and is outstanding at upselling an pushing promotions… nothing is too much to ask and everything is done with a passion for the company”.

 Mr Geoghegan added; “Gail’s remarkable dedication and expertise in customer service have earned her this well-deserved accolade, while her contributions have undoubtedly set a high standard within our sales team. Gail thoroughly deserves the award and we are thrilled to see her success platformed on such a national stage.”

 Niamh Gregory, Food-to-Go Training and Development Executive was a finalist on the night within the Emerging Talent category, while Business Development Chef, Geoff Baird was also a finalist within the Customer Development award category.

 The FWD Gold Medal Awards were held at the iconic Old Billingsgate in London and were attended by over 900 distinguished guests from the hospitality and wholesale industry, suppliers, and sponsors, and was a true celebration of the collective achievements of industry peers.

The Federation of Wholesale Distributors is the trade association for food and drink wholesalers in the UK, whose members provide food and associated products to over 400,000 retail and catering businesses.

On the night, FWD Chairman Dawood Pervez said: “We have so many talented people and progressive businesses within our sector who have been nominated for an award and whom we are proud to be recognising. All our judges have been inspired by the commitment, dedication, and sheer passion for excellence that has shone through. Our industry is all about its people and tonight we honour you, the individuals in the sector who make wholesale such an inspiring and valuable place to work. We have faced challenges and embraced successes to ensure our industry is a sector that continues to thrive. And this is what we are celebrating here tonight.”

Featured image: FWD Gold Medal Awards host Rob Beckett is pictured with Chris Palmer, Product Manager (Ecommerce and Loyalty) from Henderson Foodservice, receiving the award for Data & Insights. Also pictured is Tiffany Oliveria from category sponsor American Express and FWD Chairman Dawood Pervez.