Food Chain - Issue 198 - February 2024 | Page 88

Elite Fine Foods ________________________________________________________________________________________________
“ Of course , 2019 came with its challenges too . The pandemic gave us a chance to reflect on our growth and take time to consider the future direction of the business , which resulted in a companywide reset . We covered quite a substantial portion of the UK from our hub base in Newhaven and satellite depots across the country . We decided to refocus on what we call our heartland area ( Surrey and Sussex ), as well as maintaining our client relationships in London ’ s extremely competitive market .
“ From a more personal perspective , having come from a big ‘ foodie ’ family and since occupied several roles across the industry , my experience allowed me to think and structure a plan before joining Elite around a year ago . The key thing to remember is that you learn just as much from poor experiences as you do the good ones !”
Ahead of the curve
When it comes to customers , Elite has a unique stance on providing superior service . “ We ’ ve always been quite agile and flexible to suit our customers ’ needs . If they recommend a supplier or tell us about a product they want to launch on their menu , for instance , we adapt to bring in the product to make life easier for our valued customers ,” Tim explains . “ However , we have to be careful not to be entirely led by bigger clients , so that we don ’ t take our eye off supporting local customers and regional trends .
“ Our base in Sussex provides phenomenal opportunities and access to an abundance of local producers , manufacturers , and suppliers within the food and beverage industry . We try and build synergies with local businesses to establish a mutually beneficial relationship . We ’ re currently working with a superb local supplier to expand our dessert range , for
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