allmanhall celebrates 16 years of award-winning food procurement

allmanhall celebrates its 16-year anniversary of supporting clients and inspiring improvement in food procurement with a vision that good food shouldn’t cost the Earth

Founded in 2006 by father and son, Edward and Oliver Hall, the business began as specialists in catering procurement for the Independent Education sector. Sixteen years on, the business now employs a team of forty professionals, and has expanded to support the Care and B&I sectors in addition to Education. Edward and Oliver are still very much involved in the business as Chairman and Managing Director and are proud to still be a family-oriented company, led by core values, owner-managed and independent.

Much has changed since allmanhall was founded, both for the business and wider world in which it operates, but its philosophy remains consistent; deliver sustainable value for every client. allmanhall believe good food shouldn’t cost the Earth and, as such, they are on a mission to challenge and transform food supply so informed decisions become clear. It has grown and developed its core food procurement specialism, and by focusing on developing close working relationships with clients, has achieved a client retention rate of 99%, a huge testament to this philosophy. allmanhall now looks after and works collaboratively with well over 100 clients, which still includes its very first client, St Paul’s Girls‘ School in Hammersmith, London.

Edward Hall, Co-Founder and now Chairman at allmanhall comments: "Since allmanhall's incorporation in 2006, there has been massive change in the business environment. Especially latterly. The impact of COVID, and the disruption to supply chains resulting from the end of the EU transition period, have placed huge pressures on our ability to meet customer/ client demand successfully. We are facing further challenges from rapidly increasing transport costs, labour shortages and spiralling energy prices - all of which are contributing to the highest levels of food inflation experienced since we started allmanhall. Alongside these factors have been the technological advances which have revolutionised the whole process of food ordering, supplier delivery and production/ service techniques. These have heightened allmanhall's clients' expectations. They have a much better-informed consumer base, requiring variety, improved quality, seasonality, ethical and sustainable food sourcing, healthier menus and assurances on provenance. All at a competitive price. Our ever-increasing skillset at understanding and managing these different issues is all the more vital to successfully delivering sustainable value to an expanding portfolio of clients."

allmanhall has established itself as a market leader in food procurement, helping its clients deal with the challenges that first the pandemic and now the cost-of-living crisis has created for all in the food sector.

Communicatons and Development Director Jo Hall expands: “From a modest start in 2006 we have expanded to realise a turnover of £28m in FY 2021-22, a true example of a successful local business, growing and operating at a national level. And this expansion continues with circa £11m new business re-signed in the past six months, and an active programme of new staff recruitment and team development in place for the future.”

The original core of the procurement expertise offerings from those very early days are still apparent today but have expanded to include foodservice consultancy, with hands-on catering and nutrition advice and dietetics support. Regarding the impact on the environment and sustainability, Oliver Hall, Co-Founder and Managing Director at allmanhall explains “over the next few years, when buying food, we hope sustainability or environmental impact data is as readily available as nutrition or allergen data is today. Enhanced understanding and availability of information are vital steps towards more sustainable food to help clients carry out environmental impact assessments.” Indeed, allmanhall has recently engaged in an exclusive partnership with Foodsteps, to provide carbon impact assessments.

Clients are certainly satisfied and dependent on the support and savings provided by allmanhall. So says Sue Bradwell, Managing Director at Midshire Signature Services Ltd: “Working with allmanhall has been better than having our own purchasing department. The benefits are not just financial… Nothing is too much trouble.”

In recognition of the level of service and expertise allmanhall provides, it has achieved a number of industry accolades. For the second year running it has been awarded Best Food Procurement Specialists 2022 from the Southern Enterprise Awards body. It won both this and the Customer Service Excellence Award 2021, building on the previous’ accolade for Customer and Staff Care in the Wiltshire Business of the Year Awards 2017. allmanhall is a Premier Partner of the National Association for Care Catering (NACC), indicative of its growth in, and support offered, to the care sector. It works closely with the ISBA, recently delivering a much-celebrated Catering Managers Forum in partnership with them.

The company also has a strong altruistic bent and over the years has been a solid supporter of local charity, completing a number of annual Bath Half marathons and other challenges as a team over the years, for charity Jamie’s Farm, who promote farming, family and therapy.

To mark its anniversary allmanhall is publishing 16 recipes that can be delivered on a budget and / or with a low carbon impact assessment rating between September and Christmas 2022.

allmanhall is an award-winning market leader in expert food procurement. Their services are needed now more than ever. For more information, please visit www.allmanhall.co.uk