________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Woods Foodservice is a premium, familyowned wholesaler supplying the very top end of the UK hospitality sector- including more than 60 Michelinstarred restaurants. For over 40 years, the business has built its reputation on quality, consistency and service. Today, it is pairing that heritage with a clear ambition: to help drive sustainability across fine dining and position the UK as a global leader in responsible gastronomy.“ I took over as Managing Director in 2000 and repositioned the business with a clear focus on the premium market,” begins Darren Labbett.“ That shift defined the Woods Foodservice you see today: specialist, service-led and aligned with the needs of high-performance kitchens. Now, both of my daughters and my son work for the company.
“ We’ re not just supporting great kitchens- we’ re helping them operate more sustainably. We believe London has the potential to become one of the greenest restaurant scenes in the world.”
That ambition comes at a critical moment. While sustainability is increasingly shaping the fine dining scene, the UK continues to lag behind European counterparts in environmental recognition at the highest level, Michelin Green Stars. Woods Foodservice is actively working to close that gap- collaborating with chefs, producers and partners to raise standards across the supply chain.
Consistency, quality, and service
From being a specialist dry store supplier, Woods Foodservice has expanded its range across chilled, frozen, dairy, and fresh produce, including products such as smoked salmon, charcuterie, and fresh juices. More recently, it has introduced
tableware, with further category expansion planned to incorporate a full range of fresh meat and fresh bread, thereby continuing to add further value for customers.
“ We’ ve invested heavily in operational excellence and infrastructure, underpinned by being BRC AA + graded for the last nine years, and more recently, achieving B Corp certification,” he adds.“ This reassures customers that we are doing everything to the highest possible standard whilst keeping an eye on ethics, morals, sustainability, and transparency.
230