Wholesaler Brakes freezes prices on 1,850 own brand products

Foodservice wholesaler Brakes is holding prices on 1,850 own brand products until October of this year.

The foodservice giant said the move would help provide food businesses with some certainty amid record-high food inflation.

Brakes is applying the price freeze to selected frozen and ambient products.

Paul Nieduszynski, chief commercial officer for Brakes’ owner Sysco in the United Kingdom, said the initiative was aimed at providing operators with some “peace of mind”.

“From tuna to tinned tomatoes and cookies to chips, we’re holding 1,850 prices across popular Brakes frozen and ambient products,” he said.

“It’s been difficult for operators to plan with inflation and input costs reaching record highs over the past year, so we’ve taken the decision to hold prices and provide some certainty and peace of mind over the coming months.”

It is the latest in a series of initiatives from Brakes designed to support customers through Covid and more recently amid the cost of living crisis.

In the summer of 2022 Brakes resurrected its ‘Help for Hospitality' campaign, which saw customers benefit from 10% online cashback as they faced steep inflation, soaring energy costs and challenges with labour shortages.

The original campaign in 2021 helped businesses in all sectors, including independent schools, pubs, restaurants and care homes, recover from Covid lockdowns.

As part of the scheme, the company gave its customers around £2m collectively in cashback which was invested in rewards, charities and independent businesses.

The cashback scheme applied to key categories including chilled meats and poultry and fresh produce as well as wine and champagne.

Outlets could choose to redeem their cashback as Brakes credit on future orders, with more than 150 high-street brands, or lend their support to one of a list of charities that included UNICEF, helping support children in Ukraine, the Alzheimer's Society, Hospitality Action, Springboard or Hospitality Health, as well as Meals & More, Brakes' charity which aims to eliminate holiday hunger.