Supplier & New Supplier of the Year Announced

31 January 2014, 16:51 pm
Speciality Bites by Paul Hargreaves

Apart from continuous rain, the last two weeks have seen me first in Scotland, as you know from the last blog, followed by the annual pilgrimage to ISM in Cologne. The latter event always involves prolonged periods in the evening keeping warm in the local beer taverns, so best that I was only there for two nights! (No – I am not getting too old, just a little more health conscious these days!)

ISM is one of the more innovative shows I go to, and whilst it seems smaller than it used to be, there is nothing in the world of confectionery and bakery products that doesn’t happen there. Lots of innovation – we just need to work out which products are priced respectably enough to sell in the UK market.  You will have to wait for our Christmas 2014 catalogue to see what we chose!

Back to Scotland and I took the opportunity whilst there to present our two annual awards to our suppliers. Folkington’s won “Supplier of the Year” and Devilishly Delicious won “New Supplier of the Year” – see the image above for the photograph. Despite none of our suppliers ever presenting us with a “Wholesaler of the Year” award, I think it is important to reward our suppliers when they recognise our brand values and our working ethos. Generally these awards are a consensus within Cotswold Fayre from the people that deal with the suppliers on a day-to-day basis and are awarded to those who are truly working in partnership with us. Of course, there has to be a decent volume of sales as well!

I think we are unique in these awards, but no doubt not for long. Our competitors seem to be copying most of my good ideas. Adapting them sometimes, but essentially blatantly copying! Nothing wrong in many ways, it is the “way of the world” and “imitation is the best form of flattery” but rightly or wrongly I find it slightly irritating, especially when even our style of adverts are copied to the extent that people are ringing us to ask whether our graphic designer has moved to one of our competitors!  That is just silly!  The joy of innovation and creativity and that is what we all need to keep our businesses growing and developing during 2014.

Have a good week.

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