YHA announces Creed Foodservice as new supplier

The Youth Hostels Association (YHA) (England and Wales) has appointed independent wholesaler Creed Foodservice to supply its 91-strong network of catered youth hostels from February.

The food contract is the single biggest one awarded to an external supplier by the leading youth charity and follows a formal tender process last year which saw Creed marked out for its existing supply network, commitment to environmental sustainability and consistency of food quality, offering accredited British Red Tractor sourced meat and a commitment to supplying British made products wherever possible.

Creed Foodservice operates from three distribution centres in Staverton in Gloucestershire, Ilkeston in Derbyshire and High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire already serves a historic properties and visitor attractions in areas in which YHA has Youth Hostels, ensuring mileage and emissions are reduced.

As part of the contract Creed Foodservice has partnered Lake District-based independent food supplier Caterite, and they will supply YHA's 15 catered Youth Hostels based in the Lake District National Park.

Lara Bicknell, national sales controller at Creed Foodservice, explained: "We are absolutely delighted to be working in partnership with YHA across England and Wales on their food offer and ‘Feeding New Adventures Together' campaign. We are both passionate about ethically sourced and quality assured food, we have a shared respect for the environment and sustainable practices, and a thirst for innovation and change for the benefit of our customers.

"As founding members of the Country Range Group of independent wholesalers, we are also proud to have provided an environmentally sound solution for servicing YHA's Lake District sites in partnership with Caterite, a fellow Country Range member with existing delivery routes in this region."

Jerry Robinson, operations director of YHA (England and Wales), added: "As a charity we must ensure value for money at every level but also combine this with the quality product that people now expect from YHA. The appointment of Creed Foodservice as the food supplier to our network brings many benefits, both in terms of food quality and consistency and environmental. I am delighted that Creed Foodservice is onboard.

"The food contract is the largest within YHA and gives us an opportunity to positively impact on how our operations affect both the environment and our customers. There is much synergy between YHA and Creed Foodservice and I am confident that the appointment will contribute to YHA's charitable purpose in the long term."

YHA operates a network of around 160 Youth Hostels of which 91 have dining provisions providing cooked breakfasts, lunches and evening meals as well as serving cakes and light snacks throughout the day. Primarily serving residential guests, a growing number of Youth Hostels now operate licensed cafes and bars which are open to the public and non-residents.

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