Foodservice Cateys 2022: Supplier Excellence Award – Collectiv Food

Collectiv Food takes home the award for Supplier Excellence at The Caterer's Foodservice Cateys 2022

Collectiv Food is a next-generation food supplier that prides itself on disrupting the B2B food supply chain. It operates by sourcing food directly from a network of thousands of producers and delivers straight to professional kitchens. Its customers range from restaurants and hotels to catering firms, meal-kit companies and dark kitchens, including Big Mamma Group, the Hush Collection, Dirty Bones, Megan's and many more.

The delivery model is characterised by points of distribution (PODs), which are repurposed refrigerated shipping containers strategically placed in key metropolitan areas. Overnight, PODs are loaded with food orders, which are then collected by greener last-mile delivery partners, such as cargo bikes and electric vans, and delivered directly to restaurants in the morning. The decentralised system enables Collectiv Food to offer market-beating prices, fresher products, and dependable service while, it says, reducing CO2 emissions by up to 50% compared to the traditional model.

Ed Standring, chief executive of Haché Burgers & Cabana, said: "As soon as we met Collectiv we realised what a disruptor they were and that they would be the perfect fit for us as a supplier to build our sustainability."

Mari Volkosh, F&B procurement manager at Big Mamma Group, added: "Collectiv Food has definitely stood out because of its ability to source very specifically what we need. We are able to tell them we want crab, we want it handpicked, we want it pasteurised, we also want it to be picked within 200km of our restaurant."

The POD model matches activity to demand by working with last-mile delivery partners who are already making trips into cities. This way, orders are delivered to restaurants without creating unnecessary mileage. It also produces the Collectiv Food Market Monitor, a fortnightly newsletter launched in response to the Ukrainian crisis, which seeks to support the company's customer base in navigating ongoing inflation and supply disruption by sharing insights from the food industry and suggestions on how to mitigate any impact.

Throughout March Collectiv Food partnered with customer Dirty Bones to donate the profits from its best-selling chicken and waffle dish to the #CookForUkraine initiative for Unicef UK. It supported Dirty Bones' donation by matching the amount raised through sales, as well supporting its poultry producers Wipasz, based in Poland, by making a donation of £3,000 aimed at providing housing and vital supplies to displaced Ukrainians.

What the judges said

"A great achievement to lay the foundations for the business against headwinds. I really like the disruptive nature of decentralisation and the reduction in CO2 emissions." Ben Gardner

"A very new type of wholesale business, disrupting the market and offering a real point of difference to its customers. Certainly, one to watch for the future." Chris Gamm

"An impressive model with a long-term vision." Hayley Scriven

The shortlist

Bizimply

Collectiv Food

JJ Foodservice

Past winners

2021 Navitas Safety

2019 JJ Foodservice

2018 HIT Training