The Grocer – 20 July 2019

news wholesale & convenience

8 | The Grocer | 20 July 2019 Get the full story at thegrocer.co.uk

Spar wholesaler James
Hall has raised half a
million pounds for char-
ity through its sandwich
sales since 2011.
The wholesaler sup-
ported the NSPCC until
March 2017, and Marie
Curie thereafter.
The own label sand-
wiches are sold across
the wholesaler’s 640
Spar stores and auto-
matically generate a
donation when they are
purchased.
The Preston-based
wholesaler stocks 45 own
label products that gen-
erate money for charity.
These include strawberry
jam, salted peanuts and
chocolate cookies.
“We have been thrilled
to help two major chari-
ties since beginning the
initiative, the NSPCC and
Marie Curie,” said James
Hall sales and marketing
director Peter Dodding.

James Hall

makes £500k

in charity

donations

Sugro urges penalties

for sugar tax avoiders

Yulia Goodwin called for a stronger compliance system

Lyndsey Cambridge

Buying group Sugro is

calling for stronger pen-

alties against operators

circumventing the sugar

tax and flooding the mar-

ket with cheap imported

soft drinks.

The buying group told

The Grocer this week that

its members’ soft drinks

sales were down 15%

for the year to the end

of June. Head of trading

Yulia Goodwin said the

group believed this was

due to its members not

being able to compete

with importers who are

avoiding the Soft Drinks

Industry Levy (SDIL).

“Unfortunately there is

still a lack of clear policy

on compliance and lit-

tle proof of sugar tax levy

reinforcement on import-

ers bringing stock from

outside the UK,” said

Goodwin. “We believe

there needs to be a

stronger compliance sys-

tem with the imposition

of high penalties on any

non-legitimate import-

ers trying to sell products

without paying the full

sugar levy. This would

give legitimate wholesal-

ers a level playing field.”

The FWD and the

BSDA warned the intro-

duction of a sugar levy

would lead to a rise in

illicit trade when it was

introduced in April 2018.

“FWD is receiving reg-

ular reports of suspected

SDIL fraud on imported

product, with an increase

in non-GB stock being

sold in the fast food

sector,” said FWD CEO

James Bielby. “Price

would indicate that much

of this is non-levy paid.”

BSDA director general

Gavin Partington added:

“There is some anecdo-

tal evidence of it taking

place, but it is hard to

assess the scale.”

HMRC confirmed there

were currently 40 live

investigations underway

relating to this issue.

HMRC has also given

mandatory SDIL train-

ing for excise compliance

teams. “There are a range

of penalties that HMRC

could apply dependent

on the circumstances

and the enforcement and

application of these pro-

visions are covered in

the Customs and Excise

Management Act 1979,”

said a spokesman.

Tony Holmes was made

retail director in January

Bestway retail director
Tony Holmes has left as
the wholesaler seeks to
bring together its com-
pany-owned store divi-
sion and franchise and
symbol brands.
Two other directors
have also left. Edward
Smeaton, director of
trading – retail and own
label joined Lidl this
month as head of buy-
ing for own label and
brand, while HR director
Carolyn McMenemie has
decided to step down.
Bestway is currently
recruiting a replacement
for Smeaton, while head

Tony Holmes among directors

to leave Bestway in shake-up

of HR Jinny McDermott is

taking over McMenemie’s

responsibilities.

Holmes was pro-

moted to retail director

in January as part of a

wider shake-up. This also

included the appoint-

ment of Andy Cresswell

as chief retail officer to

head up the Bestway

Retail division it bought

from Conviviality in 2018.

Since that deal,

Bestway had been work-

ing to “align its busi-

ness divisions to meet

the needs of its custom-

ers, in order to remain

the best way for them

to grow their food and

drink businesses” said a

spokeswoman.

The Bestway Retail

team, led by Cresswell,

will assume responsi-

bility for the company-

owned, franchise and

symbol group brands.

Bidfood has acquired

Brighton-based whole-

saler Elite Fine Foods.

Elite delivers to more

than 2,500 catering estab-

lishments across the UK

from its seven multi-tem-

perature sites, offering

6,500 products including

speciality cheeses, fresh

fish and its own butchery

and fresh meat service.

Bidfood said Elite

would continue to “oper-

ate under the same iden-

tity and culture, with

no change to its service

offering”.

Bidfood CEO Andrew

Selley said its newest

Elite Fine Foods is

acquired by Bidfood

addition sat well within

its decentralised model,

where Bidfood’s financial

and strategic strength

could be used alongside

Elite’s local expertise.

“We’re delighted to

welcome the team and

customers of Elite Fine

Foods to the Bidfood

family,” said Selley. “The

company is already a

thriving and profitable

foodservice supplier in

the UK, with a real pas-

sion for service which

aligns perfectly with our

mission to provide ser-

vice excellence and make

customers’ lives easier.”

SOFT DRINKS DECEIT

FWD is receiving regular reports of suspected SDIL

fraud on imported product – James Bielby, chief

executive, FWD